Verdurous Seas, Cerulean Skies
by Conejo-sama
Summary: Their journey began in those verdurous seas. Now he spends his days on Earth following his own path, discovering new things, and loving Amy, under these cerulean skies.
1. Promise

**A/N: My new story didn't get much of a warm reception, but I'm not so concerned about that with this one since it's a ONE-SHOT series. I hope all who courteous enough to read it like it.**

 **A/N: I have no OCs (yet), so I am not doing a disclaimer nor am I doing a claimer, except for the originality of each drabble.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Verdurous Seas, Cerulean Skies**

 **Promise**

" _The vast seas and sky of this world will surely provide you with many opportunities. Survive. Explore. I expect you to achieve great things and live your life to its fullest."_

That was the last thing Chamber said to his pilot, Ensign Ledo, before ejecting his cockpit outside the authority of said pilot. And as he watched his Machine Caliber sacrifice himself to stop Striker once and for all and save the people of Earth, Ledo took his words to heart.

Ledo was once considered one of the most elite soldiers of the Galactic Alliance of Humankind not only because he was an outstanding pilot, but he was also very intelligent and could pick up on things faster than most people (his fast grasp of the Earth language proved that he was nearly as adaptable as his Machine Caliber), but ever since he'd come out of his cryogenic stasis there were many strange things that he was having a hard time wrapping his head around, even with Chamber's assistance.

The people of Gargantia, the morals of their society, their peaceful lifestyle, the whalesquid that had a frightening resemblance to the Hideauze, Amy—it was all alien to him. There were still many things that confused him, many things he had yet to learn, and there were people who had been willing to help him understand. People like Amy. And after encountering the vessel filled with vapid souls who thought their purpose in life was to throw it away in order to survive and placate fictitious gods, he was… enlightened.

It was a waste. It was _all_ a waste—and he wasn't just talking about Commander Kugel's totalitarian regime. The countless lives of those whalesquid—Hideauze that were bred from _human_ bio-engineering—his years in the Galactic Alliance because they _knew_ about those deplorable experiments and their origin—it was all a waste because in the end, they were all human, and if humans couldn't tolerate being amongst each other, if they couldn't find a way to _live_ , then the war would never end and there would be no reason to survive other than to fight, and Ledo didn't see the point in fighting anymore because it was just _pointless_.

He knew there was a difference between surviving and living; it was the way he was brought up from the moment he was born. Unfortunately for him, Ledo couldn't remember much about his life before he became a soldier, so most of what he could recall from his latent memory was that he was conditioned to fight in order to protect humanity. To survive. There was no point in pondering hypotheticals when, presently, the potential end of humanity was eminent. The Hideauze were a constant threat and there was no way to coexist unless they were all exterminated.

But Amy and her people had found a way to live peacefully with these creatures, and they didn't have to use force or subjugation or violence in order to do so. The whalesquid were still dangerous, but only if they had to be; they were just as provocative as humans because, genetically, they _were_ humans, or at least diluted versions. And like any living being, they felt _something_ , whether it was pain or sadness or even just content. It was proof enough to Ledo that the lives of the Hideauze—the lives of the whalesquid were just as expendable and fragile as the lives of the people of Gargantia.

But beyond that, there were other lives too. From creatures of the seas to the creatures of the skies, there was life everywhere, precious life, and each one of those beings, human or not, had purpose, as effortless or mundane it had seemed at first, but Ledo couldn't even begin to describe how incredible it all was. Sure, there was occasional conflict, but they had ways of making things work out so everyone was somewhat satisfied and that also amazed him. They didn't waste a single day because life was too short and too extraordinary. In other words, they survived by living.

For most of his life, Chamber had been his main support system. Chamber taught him, protected him, led him back on his path whenever he fell astray, and the AI had made the ultimate sacrifice to keep him on that path. Now Ledo had a choice. He had a chance to embrace everything life had to offer, thanks to Chamber, who seemed to understand humanity more than he had led on, and he was not going to waste this opportunity. Ledo would make sure his comrade's—no, his _friend's_ —sacrifice would not be in vain.

"Ledo!" Relieved by the reprieve of his existential thoughts, Ledo finally looked away from the falling shrapnel that was Chamber and Striker and over at the surf-kites that belonged to Amy and her friends. She flew down and aimed to land next to the cockpit. Although the sky was dark, the borealis glow resulting from the blast shed enough light for Ledo to see Amy's worried expression, and it was enough for Amy to see the tears that hadn't stopped flowing since he had lost his friend.

Once Amy saw those tears, her first reaction was to go to him. When they first met, Ledo barely showed any emotions. He was so high-strung and skeptical of this new world she and her friends practically had to drag him out of his cold, hard shell, but after a while, he began to open up, taking baby steps and exploring the depths of Gargantia on his own. And now, seeing the young man cry for his friend, an intellectual machine who willingly sacrificed his life for the people of Gargantia, Amy didn't want to leave him alone.

Before the kite landed in the water, Amy leapt into the cockpit dauntlessly and brought her arms around Ledo, whispering soft reassurances as she did so. Accepting her tender words and loving embrace, Ledo brought his arms around her tight and continued to cry, nuzzling his face into her neck. He couldn't remember ever being in the loving embrace of someone who cared about him, not even when he was in pain. When he tried, the only person he could think of was Amy. The warm elation of being with her always brought out this desire to be close to those he cared for dearly, and he regretted ever letting it go by leaving Gargantia.

He was not going to make that same mistake twice.

From this day forth, Ledo made a solemn promise: he would make Gargantia his home, explore this world and all its mysteries, and he would no longer be led astray by blind edicts because he would follow his own path.

"Ledo," Amy murmured. She released him, finally allowing him to see her tears as well. "I know Chamber was important to you."

"He was," Ledo said. "But he knew the stakes, and he sacrificed himself for the people of Gargantia, and for me. He wanted me to live." Lifting her chin, Ledo smiled. "I promised Chamber I would live my life to the fullest, and I want to do that with you, Amy. I want to live with you and on the fleet with the people of Gargantia."

Amy's cheeks turned a little pink and her smile increased. "I wish there was a way to thank Chamber for what he's done. We owe him our lives."

Smiling, Ledo hugged her once more, thankful to have someone as understanding and heartfelt as Amy. And as he held her in his arms, renewed with this sense of hope for the future, Ledo looked out at the dark verdurous sea, the calm surface reflecting the beauteous cerulean sky.

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 **Short drabble, I know. They'll get longer, I promise.**

 _ **R &R!**_


	2. Second Chance

**A/N: There's going to be a lot of filler between my first drabble and the epilogue of the last episode. I think the epilogue takes place several months after Chamber fought Striker, so I wanted to chronicle the events that led up to that point before doing future ONE-SHOTs, starting with him apologizing since that seemed like something he would do. Even though he didn't know any better, Ledo cares a lot about Gargantia, and I'm sure he regrets everything he's done. There's going to be a lot of emphasis of that in future SHOTs.**

 **Now enjoy!**

* * *

 **Verdurous Seas, Cerulean Skies**

 **Second Chance**

For the first time in these last few days, Ledo was afraid.

Ledo had felt fear before. As a member of the elite Galactic Alliance of Humankind, he had been trained to suppress that fear in the farthest regions of his psyche. Fear was not an option during war, and those who could not concur it would be subject to the destruction of the Hideauze and, therefore, an encumbrance to humankind. He had faced hundreds of those creatures back when the only thing on his mind was the extermination of those blood-thirsty monsters.

But facing the commander of the Gargantian fleet and her second in command was a totally different kind of fear.

At least with the Hideauze, he could anticipate their attacks and he knew the consequences of one slight misstep. With the Hideauze, it was do or die, and dying was most definitely not an option. With the Hideauze, he had Chamber, who was there to back him up with counterattacks, infiltration plans, and information he would not be about to obtain while he was on the battlefield. He had stared danger in the face plenty of times before his 13th birthday, the day he was first appointed as an ensign. But now, as he stood with the posture of the perfect soldier, as he had been taught to the moment he could walk, Ledo would've preferred staring a full-fledged whalesquid in the face than endure this moment.

Fear probably wasn't even the right word to describe how he felt; dread, insecurity, and shame seemed like more appropriate variations, but his gut told him it was fear. Fear that his betrayal would deny him citizenship on Gargantia, fear that he would never be forgiven despite his heroic actions that day and Chamber's sacrifice, but most of all, fear that, no matter how hard he tried to become a part of this world, he would always be the outsider everyone had come to fear and love.

But as these powerfully doubtful thoughts had come to pass, they quickly dissipated as soon as Amy sunny expression appeared in his mind. It was her idea to make a formal apology to Ridget and the other leaders of the fleet.

" _I'm sure once they see how sorry you are, they'll let you stay. They owe you and Chamber their lives, too, and they may not realize it, but you've been a part of Gargantia since you came to Earth!"_

 _He chuckled lightly at her optimism. It was amazing how fast Earthlings bounced back after such catastrophes; it was just another thing he admired about them. "I don't think that will be enough to convince them, Amy."_

" _Well, I don't care what they think!" she huffed. "You should be able to stay, and I can think of a few others who would agree with me!"_

 _Ledo looked down at his hands, which were clenched tightly together with tension. It had only been a day and he felt extremely lost without his Machine Caliber. If Chamber was here, he could tell him what to do, how to make things right…_

" _Hey." She grabbed his hand with both of hers and, as if she were reading his thoughts, squeezed reassuringly. Ledo looked back up into those cerulean eyes he'd come to adore and his chest tightened at the sheer determination and affection in them. "You're not alone, Ledo. I know you miss Chamber, but you'll always have me and Bebel and Melty and Saaya and everyone else! If you get nervous, just remember I'll be right outside. Okay?"_

And with that reminder, Ledo steeled himself in front of the officers. He knew this was something he had to do for himself and no one, not even Amy, could tell him the right words to say.

"I know that you may resent me for what I've done," he began. "There are many things I wish I could've done differently before leaving Gargantia. If I'd known…"

"Ledo." Ridget stepped forward as if to stop him, but he raised his hand to stop her.

"I know I wasn't very trustworthy to begin with since I was never from Earth, and killing the Hidea—uh, whalesquid, has probably reawaken many skepticisms. I don't want anyone to feel as if they owe me their lives just because Chamber stopped Striker. He did it because he knew it was the right thing to do, and I did it because I've come to care about Gargantia and all of its inhabitants very much. And now that Chamber is gone, I think it is time that I started learning about this planet myself, and I would like to start here, in Gargantia."

As he began to bow in front of them, a gentle hand rested on his shoulder, making him stay erect. "There's no need for that, Ledo," said Ridget. "You've proven to be a great asset to Gargantia. It's true, we do owe you our lives, and on behalf of the Gargantian fleet, I'd like to thank you and Chamber." Her second in commander nodded as if he agreed with her, and Ledo nodded back. "I'm sure you feel very… vulnerable, without him." He appreciated how sensitive she was being about Chamber's absence, but it still made him insecure whenever it was mentioned. "Pinion told me what you found when you infiltrated the whalesquids' nesting site, and seeing as you're familiar with the Yunboros and the whalesquid, I'm sure there could be a place for you on Bellows's excavation team."

What felt like a heavy weight suddenly fell from his shoulders, leaving Ledo feeling as light as a feather. This must've been what closure felt like.

"Thank you very much, Commander."

With a humble bow, Ledo turned to leave, feeling anew. He couldn't wait to give Amy the good news!

But he discovered that was unnecessary as soon as he opened the door. Once he twisted the knob, Amy, along with her friends Melty and Saaya, tumbled into the room, looking sheepishly guilty, earning amused glances from the occupants of the room.

Commander Ridget crossed her arms and tried to look serious as she reprimanded the girls. "What do you girls think you're doing?"

Amy laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head. "We just… wanted to be here to support Ledo in case you kicked him off of Gargantia."

"And why on Earth would I do that?"

It only took Amy a second to reach an understanding as she gasped in delight. As soon as she squirmed her way out from her under her friends, she immediately crushed Ledo into a big hug. "See! I knew they'd let you stay!"

Suddenly, Amy felt a pair of strong arms around her waist up and she cried out in surprise when she realized Ledo had lifted her up and began spinning her around, laughing in joy. It was the first time he opening expressed himself, and it seemed Amy was not the only one stunned by this as the others watched them, completely shell-shocked. But the sudden jolt of shock was replaced with elation as Amy joined in Ledo's contagious merriment, laughing to her heart's content. She could hear Ridget explaining the situation to her friends and Melty saying something or other about a celebration, but Amy didn't care at the moment.

Seeing Ledo's happiness spread, the light in his eyes and the warm jubilation of his embrace, Amy didn't know what she would've done if she couldn't see that every day. Now she would get to watch as Ledo continued to grow out of his shell, discovering new things and having new adventures, and she would be there to have those experiences with him. But for now, she was perfect content in his arms, never having to let go.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, this one was shorter than I wanted it to be. Starting now, the drabbles are going to be longer. I promise this time!**

 _ **R &R!**_


	3. Home

**Verdurous Seas, Cerulean Skies**

 **Home**

Morning had come too early, even for Ledo, who had been trained to wake at inconvenient times. But during his first few weeks on Earth, his hardened exterior began to soften up at the knowledge that the denizens of Gargantia were harmless, for the most part, and his internal clock started to adapt to the fluctuations of Earth's time zone. But the harsh sunlight and piercing caw of the gulls were not what woke him up on this unpleasant morning.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty!"

Startled, Ledo shot up from the mess of blankets he was lying on, accidentally hitting his head against Chamber's cockpit. Disgruntled, the former ensign rubbed his head and crawled out of his little hovel to see who decided to disturb him at this ungodly hour.

Pinion stood above him with his signature smirk. "Good morning, Pinion," Ledo greeted less than enthusiastically. "Though I don't see what's so good about it."

"Did you just use sarcasm?"

"I know what sarcasm is."

"Right, right. It's weird to hear you say something normal considering you're from a prestigious race of human beings hellbent on destroying whalesquid."

"Is there a reason why you're here, Pinion?"

Sensing Ledo's growing irritation, Pinion accordingly went along with the change of topic. "You don't still plan on sleeping out here, do you?" His gestured to the Ledo's current home, which was nothing but a ragged, used tent with a floor of blankets that Amy had been kind enough to give to him.

It'd been three days since Chamber had defeated Striker and three days since she and Bebel had offered to let him stay with them, but Ledo had refused, wanting to stay by Chamber's cockpit. Unfortunately without Chamber himself, it was not in any condition to be inhabited, so along with the blankets Ledo was given a tent to sleep in. He was used to sleeping outdoors by now, and since he had been trained to live self-sufficiently, he could deal with his current situation for a few more weeks until he found a permanent home. The conditions might've been less than accommodating—it most certainly wasn't like sleeping in Chamber's powered cockpit, which just sent him into stasis—but at least he had a picturesque view of the rippling sea to look forward to.

"I have no other place to go," was his reply as he folded his blankets up in a neat pile.

"Well then, today's your lucky day, my friend! I think I've found something that will work on both our ends."

"For the both of us?" Ledo echoed, stopping his task to hear out Pinion's proposition.

"Yes, dear Ledo. You see, I'm looking for a roommate, and since you're looking for a place to stay…"

"You want me to live with you?"

"Why not?"

"How close is it to Amy's home?"

Pinion nearly laughed at the question, but he quickly stifled himself. Though Ledo did not go out of his way to hide his requited feelings for Amy, his candor was nonetheless comical.

"I will admit it's a bit of a walk, but there are ways to get around Gargantia other than by foot. You'll have to ask the girls how to use those surf-kites." This answer left Ledo skeptical, so Pinion tried a different tactic. "Hey, I guarantee it's much better than sleeping out here where you're practically a sitting duck. I'm surprised those weirdos from the red light district haven't gotten to you yet."

Ledo froze, having forgotten about the incident that happened so long ago. His spine shuttered at the thought of those flamboyant men sneaking into his tent at night, doing things to him while he slept… "I accept your offer, Pinion."

"Great!" Pinion started off in the direction of his house.

However, Ledo still had to pack up the tent and blankets, so once everything was packed up in a duffel bag, Ledo had to jog in order to reach Pinion, who had been chattering on about the neighborhood in which he lived, completely oblivious that he had left him behind. When he heard red light district, Ledo nearly ran off, but Pinion had stubbornly hooked his arm around his neck in a chummy fashion. "I know a few people in that area who have access to the materials I need, so I try to stay close by. But not so close that they can just walk through the front door!" But his words were lost on Ledo as he was trying to control his roiling stomach.

Once they reached his door, Pinion stopped him. "Okay, just to warn you, my place isn't exactly spic and span."

"'Spic and span'?"

"It's not really clean," Pinion rephrased. "But once you move in I promise I'll try to make it homier for you." Melodramatically, he opened the door, allowing the young man to step inside. "Welcome to _Casa de Pinion_!"

Ledo did not know what to expect once he stepped foot inside Pinion's home, but since he was a mechanic, he shouldn't have been surprised the blonde man was not as efficiently organized or cleanly as he thought him to be. But when Pinion said it wasn't very clean, he had clearly understated.

First entering into his house, Ledo had accidentally stepped on a bolt, but thankfully he was wearing boots because it was jagged and rusty. The kitchen area was at the front door, where he could see tools every which way. On the table was Pinion's toolbox, oily and spent from an earlier job from this morning. The rest of his home was just as sullied, including the bathroom, which made Ledo's stomach churn harder. Once Pinion showed him the spare room, he couldn't hide his cringe. It seemed until he found himself a roommate, Pinion was using this room to store spare parts and experimental projects. Schematics for potential Yunboro upgrades were tacked to the walls and more tools were stationed on the opposite side of the room. In the far corner was a dusty futon which looked very used.

"I know it looks a bit crowded," Pinion said, "but you'll get used to it."

Ledo was starting to regret not taking Amy's offer.

"Are you done torturing the poor boy, Pinion?" Ledo had never been so relieved to see Bellows. She was leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed under her large bosom. "I'm here to collect him now."

Pinion waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. You can have him." Surprisingly, he didn't seem bothered that Bellows was taking him away.

"Where are we going?" Ledo asked curiously as Bellows led him away from Pinion's place.

"Amy told me about your living situation. Pinion doesn't need a roommate, just someone who can clean up after him, but if you ask me he just needs to man up and find a woman for himself instead of trying to get you to become his maid. I'm surprised he hasn't asked Lukkage to move in with…" She stopped mid-rant, noticing the innocently puzzled look on Ledo's face. "A-Anyway, I think I've found someplace more suited for you. You'll feel right at home."

After a few minutes, Ledo began to recognize the path Bellows was leading him on. He'd taken this path often enough to recall every insignificant detail: the faded cream walls, the rusty metal stairs, and the quiet yet hospitable atmosphere that welcomed him whenever he walked through the neighborhood.

"Why are we going to Amy's house?"

"Just be patient, soldier boy," Bellows replied. "You'll thank us for this later."

"'Us'?" Bellows merely winked at him, further piquing Ledo's curiosity.

They went up the stairs like he always did in order to reach Amy's place, but instead of going all the way to the top, Bellows stopped him several steps bellow Amy's floor. They went through a corridor, which led to a door similar to Amy's. "We're coming in!" Bellows announced.

"Wait, we're not ready!" he heard Amy's voice cry out.

"Well hurry up and get ready!"

"Just give us thirty seconds!" That sounded like Melty.

"I'll give you five."

"Ten seconds tops!"

"We're coming in!" Bellows warned in finality.

"Okay, okay! Bring him in!"

Without further ado, Bellows opened the door. Peeking inside, Ledo saw Melty and Saaya standing in front of a curtain. "What is going on?" Ledo asked. "Where is Amy?"

The girls merely looked at each other and giggled. "You'll see in a bit," Melty teased.

With a flourish, the girls pulled back the curtains, gesturing for him to enter. As he stepped further inside, he became completely in awe at what he saw.

At first, there was not much to look at. It looked just as small as Amy's house, but it appeared much bigger without any possessions or furnishings taking up space. But looking around once more, the interior made his heart clench. The ceiling was covered in pictures of the Milky Way—the one that resided in the sky—and asteroids and other things that seemed to have come out of a textbook. On the wall was the familiar black and orange color scheme.

"I know it's not the same as Chamber," said Amy, who had seemingly come out of nowhere, "but we thought it would be better than sleeping outside. A-And you'd might feel a little more at home if you had a little piece of him with you…"

Looking over at the area she had come from, Ledo saw the nightstand next to the bed had his flute and his communicator, one of the only things that he had left of Chamber. He had lost it sometime after the battle with Striker, but he hadn't thought about its whereabouts until now. "Chamber…" As soon as he picked up the communicator, his eyes started to sting. Overwhelmed, Ledo put a hand on his face as his heart was torn between immense joy and grief.

"Ledo?" His glassy eyes met Amy's, her cerulean gaze glistening in concern. "Is… Is this okay?"

Wiping his tears away, the former ensign nodded. "Thank you, Amy."

"Sorry we tricked you." Bellows, Pinion, who had joined them a little while ago, and the girls began entering the room. "We thought showing you Pinion's pigsty would make this place more desirable."

"Hey!" Pinion looked insulted. "My place isn't that bad… is it?" No one bothered to answer.

"It was convenient that Old Lady Sadako was moving in with her son and his family," Saaya commented. "It was nice of her to let you have this place."

"Yeah, now that you mention it…" Melty smirked deviously at Amy. "I see through your scheme, Amy! Now that handsome boy lives down here you'll get to sleepover whenever you want!"

"Sh-shut up, Melty!" Amy cried, a furious blush on her face. "It was just a coincidence!"

"That would explain a lot."

"Not you too, Saaya!"

As Amy continued to bicker with her friends, Ledo smiled at the familiarity of the social stigma. He knew it would take a while to get adjusted to this new environment and it would take even longer to get over losing Chamber, but he found that he did not miss being a part of the Intergalactic Alliance; he had no sense of belonging back then, only obligation. But on Earth, he felt something new, something he couldn't explain…

"So, Ledo." Pinion came up behind him and put an arm around his neck. "Feel at home yet?"

The younger boy looked back at the three friends, Melty and Saaya still teasing Amy while Bellows watched in amusement. Ledo couldn't imagine where he'd be without this lot. "Yes, this feels... just like home."

* * *

 _ **R &R!**_


	4. History

**Verdurous Seas, Cerulean Skies**

 **History**

"Wow! You found this in the whalesquid nest?" The little boy looked at the little cartridge in awe as if it was the most incredible thing he'd ever seen.

From what Ledo had seen on the footage, humans back then were much more innovative than the people of Gargantia, but their biological experiments had led to centuries of war and destruction, eventually leading to the intergalactic isolation of humankind. Ledo had yet to decide whether that was a blessing or a curse because while the soldiers of the Galactic Alliance fought, the people left on Earth lived in peace.

Bebel was the only one he'd entrusted with this dark secret. No one really understood what made Ledo see the error of his ways that day, but everyone was quick to accept it. However, being the bright little boy he was, Bebel was the only one who saw that Ledo was being haunted by demons.

After a few weeks of practice with Bellows and her team, Ledo was finally getting a chance to explore with his Yunboro. As the fleet got closer and closer to the whalesquid nesting site, Ledo started getting fidgety. He began messing up during his practice runs and then avoided the Yunboros altogether. The day before Bellows planned for them to leave on his first treasure hunt, Ledo found himself at Amy's front door. Bebel was the one to answer the door since Amy was busy with her courier route, and seeing young, innocent Bebel made Ledo reconsider.

Due to his condition, Bebel lived most of his life indoors. He was not able to experience most things boys his age had the privilege to, but that did not stop him from enjoying the little things life had to offer. And despite his innocent face, he was aware of some of the evils hidden in this world, and he was more than aware of when people were keeping things from him. He had noticed Ledo's strange behavior with each visit. Now seeing him desperate at his doorstep, he decided it was time for Ledo to confront his demons, and he was more than willing to listen.

Even after he gave him the cartridge, the former ensign was still tip-toeing. Bebel had no idea how he was going to get Ledo to talk voluntarily; as expert an interrogator as he was, he was not very good at or very keen on forcing people to do things they were uncomfortable with, even if it was therapeutic. This was a first for him.

"So, what exactly did you see on it?" he asked with cautious curiosity as he continued to look at the rectangular storage device. Ledo avoided it like it was venom.

"It was… horrible."

Bebel looked from the cartridge to his distraught friend. "Really?"

"It was a recording of an experiment."

"What kind of experiment?"

"…"

"Ledo?" The hoary-haired young man was suddenly clutching his head, and his dilated pupils were moving all over the place, seeing everything but at the same time absolutely nothing. Nothing but a nightmare. "Are you okay? Ledo…?"

The former ensign was suddenly taken from Amy and Bebel's home, outside of a place that sheltered him from the harsh truth, and he was once again faced with the ruthless images that haunted him every night. He saw himself in the core, inside Chamber, watching the commencement of the war between the humans and the Evolvers. And then he was outside of Chamber, desecrating the whalesquid population by his own hand. A hand that was permanently stained with blood…

He felt sick.

"Ledo!"

The young man rushed into the bathroom, struggling to find his bearings. Bebel nearly leapt out of bed to follow him but then thought better of it. This would be harder than he thought.

Once Ledo came out of the bathroom, the younger boy saw the despair in his eyes, his pallid skin paler than he'd ever seen. The only time Bebel had seen him this upset was when he cried after playing his flute for him, but he wasn't as distraught as this. "Ledo."

"… It's our fault."

"What do you mean?" Ledo shook his head, not willing to disclose what he knew immediately. His body shuddered as he took deep, shuddering breaths, and for a second Bebel was afraid he'd have another breakdown. After another long-suffering sigh, Ledo sat up straight and finally spilled everything he knew to the younger boy.

At first, Bebel was really fascinated. To think the peaceful cephalopodan creatures that dwelled underneath Gargantia were originally humans that were designed to survive and thrive in the depths of space. It was something out of the science-fiction, something he could've come across in one of his books. But as the story progressed, Bebel began to grasp the severity of the atrocities the humans condemned on their own kind. Not as fantastical of his novels. To think Ledo had been living with this knowledge for months, haunted by the images of people-turned whalesquid fighting against the human beings who had started this scientific project in the first place. Knowing that he had been a part of it unwittingly, it had to be the most unbearable burden to carry. It was overwhelming enough to make Ledo physically ill.

Then again, it wouldn't be the first time humankind had done such deplorable things to their fellow man…

The thought suddenly gave him an idea.

"Hey, Ledo. Can you help me with my wheelchair? I want to show you something."

Puzzled, Ledo assisted the young boy down the stairs and into his wheelchair before following him in the direction of Dr. Oldham's office. Once there, Bebel asked the astute physician if he could go into his archives to which the doctor permitted kindly. Bebel then proceeded to search through the many papers, books, and various medical records the doctor and his predecessors before him had collected and organized throughout Gargantia's history and beyond. Looking up, Bebel pointed to a shelf that was too high for him to reach from his chair. Ledo gathered the books, which were weather-beaten and centuries older than the other texts, and placed them on a table situated in the back of the room.

"What are you searching for, Bebel?"

The young brunette didn't respond as he opened each book and carefully marked certain pages, further increasing Ledo's confusion and curiosity. After a few minutes, Bebel shoved one of the books under Ledo's nose. "Can you read this, Ledo?"

Ledo took the book from him and skimmed the words tentatively. After three months of patient coaching from Amy, Bebel, and their friends, he had could finally read advanced novels and some textbooks that Bebel lent him. But reading a book filled with intricate medical procedures accompanied with equally abstruse medical jargon made him feel a little inept.

Thankfully the page Bebel had marked was easy enough to read. "The Tuskegee Study."

"Do you know what that is?" He shook his head no. "Tuskegee was a place where scientists injected a disease called syphilis into groups of people and tested them without treatment. Everyone who received the injection died."

Ledo looked at the book in horror. Bebel turned to the next one unflinchingly.

"Now what does this say?"

"The Monster Study."

"This experiment was performed on children with speech impediments. The children were told that they would never be able to talk to people normally for as long as they lived. It made the children anxious, mute, and in extreme cases…" He switched to the next book. "And what about this, Ledo?"

Ledo cringed as he read the words. "Biological and chemical warfare during World War II." He quickly shut that book, not willing to even glimpse at the others. He shut his eyes as the nauseating sensation from earlier returned before turning to the baby-faced boy. "Why are you doing this, Bebel?"

"To show you that even the most terrible acts of mankind can lead to good things."

"W-What good came out of these things? All those people _died!_ All those ch-children…" Images of that adolescent Hideauze flashed in his mind. "I don't understand how anyone could be so cruel, s-so… _inhumane_ …"

"The Tuskegee incident led to the development of penicillin. The Monster Study led to many psychological breakthroughs. As evil as these experiments started out, they actually helped a lot of people in the long run." Out of the courtesy of his friend, Bebel closed the books and put a steady hand over Ledo's clammy one. "Ledo, I know you'll probably never forget what you saw on that device, but I don't believe that's such a bad thing.

"Before you saw that footage, you believed the whalesquid were the ban of mankind's existence and needed to be destroyed in order for people to survive, but now you've learned to live peacefully with them. You've come a long way since you landed on Earth, and none of us blame you for what's happened. You shouldn't beat yourself up for it."

Ledo thought for a moment. "Do you think… it's possible that someone wanted _me_ to find that cartridge?"

Bebel shrugged. "I don't know. But I do think someone recorded those events for a reason, probably for the same reason Dr. Oldham keeps all these books and medical files. If we don't learn from these mistakes, how can we be sure we won't repeat them or even better ourselves from them?"

It always amazed Ledo how much wiser Bebel was compared to most people on Gargantia. He agreed that he would never forget the images he saw, nor would he be able to forgive himself or others for needlessly inflicting pain on innocent lives, even if it resulted in a cure. It didn't justify their actions. So from this moment on, he vowed, among other things, to amend for his sins, even if his efforts were in vain.

"H-How do you know about all this, anyway?" he inquired, wondering how such a bright, doe-eyed boy had come by such an appalling discovery.

"Well, I need something to do while I'm stuck in bed all day," he joked mildly. "I like to read. I love to learn about new things. And I know I'm being optimistic, but someday I hope to help people, like Dr. Oldham does."

He smiled at his surrogate younger brother, grateful for his counsel. "Thank you, Bebel."

The little boy happily smiled back.

After thanking Dr. Oldham, they began their way back home.

"Are you going to be okay out there?" Bebel suddenly asked, referring to Bellows' upcoming excavation.

Ledo nodded. "I think so." It wasn't like they were going straight into the whalesquid nest. The thought of being anywhere near their territory still made him queasy with contrition, but with time that feeling would hopefully fade.

"Hey, I've got an idea!" The little boy's outburst broke Ledo of his solemn track of thought and made him jump. "I think we should start learning about our ancestors' history." Seeing the other boy's incredulous expression, he clarified, "Maybe not all that stuff about Tuskegee, but I think everyone should know about where we came from. From what I've read, when Earth used to have land, and our technology used to be so much more advanced. I think it's amazing how far we've come since then…"

Ledo happily listened as Bebel chattered on about the future, or rather, the past. Gargantia was the only thing he knew about Earth. Maybe learning about Earth's past would be beneficial for its future.

The next day, Ledo went on his first treasure hunt.

As soon as he got back, he immediately went to Amy and Bebel's, sharing his first bounty with the young boy.

It was another cartridge.

The boys brought it to Dr. Oldham, who helped them decipher what was on it. Afterwards, Bebel decided to take it upon himself to teach the people of Gargantia about Earth's history. A tremendous responsibility for such a young boy, but one that he was willing to accomplish. If he could help people like he had helped Ledo, Bebel couldn't think of a more rewarding task.

* * *

 **A/N: Sadly, those experiments actually happened, though I think I over-exaggerated the result of the Monster Study. With this chapter, I wanted to emphasize Ledo's humanity. Like most soldiers, he experiences PTSD, shouldering regrets and suffering from things that most of us will never experience. But everyone's human, and like most humans, we occasionally need a shoulder to cry on, and I thought using his brotherly relationship with Bebel would portray that perfectly.**

 _ **R &R!**_


	5. Aria I

**A/N: This is an early update. The school year starts soon, so I wanted to publish this before I became too busy.**

 **A/N: I forgot to do this in the last chapter, so thanks are in order:**

 **Tati**

 **Thanwen**

 **crimson katana**

 **Thank you for my first reviews! Guest or not, they mean a lot!**

 **Now enjoy!**

* * *

 **Verdurous Seas, Cerulean Skies**

 **Aria I**

"Joy?"

"No."

"Faith?"

"Nope."

"Coco?"

"Definitely not."

Ledo watched in amusement as Grace and the short-eared flying squirrel played while Amy and her friends tried to come up with the right name for his new companion.

Ever since Ledo had lost Chamber, the little squirrel had been following him everywhere he went, coming and going as she pleased. As the days passed, Amy and her friends began to notice the critter and openly gushed when they saw handsome Ledo playing with the adorable little ball of fur.

"Well, what do _you_ think new should name her?" Melty asked.

"Why should I come up with the name?" Amy protested.

"Because you're the only other person with a pet squirrel, duh!"

"By that logic Ledo should be the one to name her. She's his, after all," Saaya said.

"Why is it so important for me to name her?" Ledo asked. Grace had grown tired of chasing her new friend and returned to her human companion. The smaller squirrel did the same and Ledo scratched her ear. "She seems to respond to me no matter what I say."

"You have to call her something, Ledo. She may respond to you now, but if you don't establish some dominance she may not be as obedient in the future. She'll go to anyone who gives her food, and then the next thing you know she'll only respond to the first person who gives her a name. She needs proper training, and it's best to start by giving her a name."

"Training?" Ledo repeated uncertainly.

Melty couldn't help laughing at Amy's ridiculously astute advice seeing the effect it had on Ledo. "Don't worry, Ledo. Amy's all talk. Grace isn't exactly tame."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, she's kind of like a cat; she's going to do what she likes when she feels like it, and she doesn't take orders from anyone, not even you." As if to prove Melty's point, the flying squirrel jumped off of her companion's shoulders and flew out of the scene, Ledo's little friend following close behind. "See what I mean? And I don't know what kind of training you're talking about, but it doesn't really take much effort to imprint a name they'll respond to. What I'd like to know is when's the last time you did any actual weaning with her?"

"Well, of course she's going to fly away! She's a _flying squirrel!_ And I don't need to 'wean' her. Do you even know what that means?"

"It's like the same as training, isn't?"

"Not at all."

"I think what Melty means," Saaya interrupted before a fight could break out, "is that Grace is a companion. Training is more for working animals, like a dog."

"What's a dog?" Ledo looked at the three girls with curious eyes, looking like a dumbfounded toddler trying to understand a grown-up conversation, which was very much the case for the former ensign.

"You've seen them around, Ledo. They're, uh…" Amy paused for a moment, grasping for an accurate description of the renowned canine creature. "… Well, they have four legs."

"Very helpful, Amy."

"Shut up, Melty!"

"Dogs are a species of mammals sometimes used for work and at others times just companionship," Saaya explained more thoroughly. "They're known to be very faithful to their owners. They're much bigger than flying squirrels, but they vary in shape and size, depending on the breed."

Ledo tried to recall if he ever saw an animal befitting of that description. He remembered yesterday when he was walking with Amy through the market there was a very scruffy-looking creature sleeping next to the produce stands. When they approached it, he grew wary, but Amy happily greeted it, allowing it to lick her hand and her face as it pounced on her with spontaneous energy. Even Grace seemed to take a liking to the quadruped, flying around its head and allowing it to chase her. Ledo didn't really understand what was so enjoyable about such unorthodox, unhygienic interaction, but perhaps it only felt unorthodox because he was still very unfamiliar with the many social idiosyncrasies of Earth.

And though he knew the question would be redundant, he couldn't help saying it out of mere incredulity. "Dogs are companions?"

"They can be," Amy said. "Or they can be pets."

"What is the difference?"

"Well…" The girls glanced at each other for help, but even sensible Saaya was starting to have trouble coming up with another explanation for their clueless friend. "Pets are… pampered and disciplined. They're treated more like kids. You have ownership over them rather than a mutual bond." However, this explanation seemed to have confused the poor boy even more.

It was then that Amy finally realized the reason for his befuddlement. "Did you not have pets when you were in space, Ledo?"

He shook his head. "Animals are not an asset to the Galactic Alliance. They serve no purpose in the war against the Hideauze."

"That's so sad. That's mean you guys only rely on each other for companionship."

"And your talking Yunboros," Melty needlessly inputted. "That's sounds awful. I can't imagine only socializing with a bunch of stiffs and their talking tin cans for the rest of my life."

Amy jabbed her with her elbow. "Melty!"

"What? Ledo's not like that anymore."

"Yeah, but you don't just say stuff like that…"

"I think we're getting a bit off track," Saaya said, sensing the steadily growing solemnity. "We still haven't come up with a name for Ledo's new friend."

"I thought Ledo was going to pick it himself."

The short-eared squirrel returned to his shoulder, preening her ears and chittering lovingly in Ledo's. Scratching her head absentmindedly, Ledo decided maybe it was time to go back home. Suddenly he had a lot to think about.

"Ledo?"

"I… have to go." He stood from the table mechanically and began walking away without even offering a proper goodbye.

Melty and Saaya did the same, silently aware that Ledo needed some time to himself. "Our lunch break was over about fifteen minutes ago, anyway," said the strawberry-blonde. "We should get back to it."

Amy looked uncertainly at the young man's sluggishly retreating form. "I'm going to go with Ledo. I'll catch up with you guys later."

The two nodded in understanding and left, but not before Melty made another derogatory comment about having some alone time with the "hotty".

It didn't take long for Amy to catch up since Ledo was walking slower than usual, an extremely pensive look on his face. Perhaps they had gotten carried away with the conversation. How did something as simple as picking a name turn into something so _deep_? Now they made him subconscious about the way he was brought up while he was still getting over his guilt about the Hideauze.

Cautiously, she asked, "Ledo, are you okay?" He didn't answer, his troubled expression staid. "I'm sorry if we upset you. You don't have to name her if you don't want to. It's just easier that way, and it helps strengthen the bond you two will have." The little squirrel jumped onto her shoulder, as if she knew the brunette was talking about her and chittered happily.

But Ledo refused to say a single word as they approached their apartments.

As they ascended the stairs, a thought came to mind.

"Oh, I know! I think Bebel has a few books that have names in them. I'll go ask him."

Ledo watched her until she disappeared into her place before entering his apartment. His little friend joined him shortly afterwards, perched on the windowsill next to his bed. Sitting on the cozy comforter, Ledo spotted his flute and communicator, the only thing he had left of Chamber, and he took the first in his hand, fiddling with it.

Despite what Amy thought, he was not upset about the wayward conversation from earlier. He was still trying to understand the relationships between the people of Gargantia and their domestic animals, but thanks to three rambunctious couriers, he finally had a grasp on the differences between companions and "pets". As he mentioned before, there weren't any animals utilized in the Galactic Alliance, and any creatures they had left were exotic species that evolved in the artificial biosphere the humans had developed in order to survive in space during their relentless struggle against the Hideauze. And as far as he could remember, he never had a pet, and the closest thing he had to companions were Chamber and his long-forgotten little brother.

When the little squirrel first approached Ledo, he had accidentally mistaken her for Grace and an inexplicable bond formed between them. After that she continuously sought him out for safety, affection, love. The Galactic Alliance offered similar things, but the relationships formed were too formal to even be considered companionship—acquaintanceship and comradery, maybe, but soldiers could not afford to form any sort of attachments because of their short lifespans. Names were the basis of such attachments, so the Machine Calibers that were assigned to each soldier were christened by their instructors. But Ledo didn't have to worry about that anymore, not while he was on Earth. He wasn't afraid to care for his new little friend and he embraced their bond.

If only he could come up with a suitable name for her.

Fascinated by his trinkets, the little squirrel ran down the young man's arm and sniffed at the pearly white object, then jumped onto his bedside table to inspect his communicator. Ledo, captivated by her whimsical naivety, brought the flute up to his lips, a light tune surfacing from his pseudo-amnestic mind.

As soon as the first note was played, the little flying squirrel's ears perked up, her orange and black toy forgotten. As the music flowed throughout the room, she became completely mesmerized. Noticing this, Ledo stopped playing, and the squirrel broke out of her stupor, scratching her ear obliviously. Starting up again, Ledo watched as she was once again frozen by the enchantment of the light and airy tune. As the song progressed, she wandered into his lap, settling down as she listened to him play. By the time the song ended, she was fast asleep. He stroked her tan hide gently, comforted by the company she provided.

A knock from the door disrupted the soothing atmosphere, and the squirrel jumped out of his lap to hide in the open draw next in his nightstand. He knew it was Amy. "Ledo! I've got the books!" It seemed she completely forgot about work.

Ledo opened the door to find a tall stack of books greeting him on the other side. He took most of the load as he let her into the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Amy grinned proudly at her grandiose achievement. "I grabbed as many books as I could carry. Bebel didn't have any books that were specifically for names, but he reads a lot of novels that have a lot of characters with weird names. There are some normal names, too, but I didn't think you'd want to give her something too plain—"

"I decided to call her Aria."

Amy's shoulders slumped slightly. Even though she was glad he finally came up with a name of his own, that just meant her efforts had been for nothing! She had to lug all of those books down the stairs— _by herself!_ —and now she had to bring them back _up_ to the apartment! Not to mention she skipped out on 30 minutes worth of pay—but she couldn't blame Ledo for that. It wasn't his fault she got so easily sidetracked.

With that sad thought, she discarded her childish dilemma to consider the name. "Aria… it's beautiful. How did you come up with it?"

Looking back at the nightstand, little Aria had found her way out of the drawer and was curled up against the flute, sound asleep. The song he played for her was different from the one he had played for Bebel months ago. It was much happier but just as comforting. However, his younger brother hadn't come to mind when he played. Instead, he saw a clear sky, surf-kites gliding through the air, cerulean eyes gleaming in joy…

"It just… came to me."

Amy smiled, quickly accepting his answer. "It suits her. Now, can you please help me take these books back? I have to get to work before I don't get paid."

Ledo obliged, taking four more books from her pile and heading out the door as Amy quickly objected to such heavy-lifting.

As the two humans left, little Aria snuggled closer to the flute. A wispy breeze whistled through the instrument, immersing the squirrel into a deep slumber.

* * *

 _ **R &R!**_


	6. High Dive

**Verdurous Seas, Cerulean Skies**

 **High Dive**

It was another hot day on Gargantia, the perfect weather for another beach party.

As the fleet began moving closer to another Milky Way, the days became longer and the sun shone brighter, providing a balmy week for the people of Gargantia. Amy decided to seize the opportunity to gather her friends for another fun get-together.

Once again, Pinion prepared a nice barbecue for everyone, this time bringing a backup generator in case the grill didn't work again since Chamber wasn't around anymore. Bellows and Ridget lounged under a couple of umbrellas, discussing something or other about the fleet's next destination. Bebel and Dr. Oldham also relaxed in the shade, perfectly content embracing the breeze and switching between reading and watching everyone else. Amy and the girls were in the water, splashing each other and going out a little further into the sea.

Ledo was not too eager to join his friends in the water immediately, especially considering the new venue. Instead, he stood with Pinion, partaking in one of Gargantia's most mouthwatering delicacies, grilled eel.

"It's good, right?"

Ledo nodded since his mouth was too full to voice how indescribably delectable it was. The euphoric expression on his face was enough of an answer.

"Glad you like it. And that's a real compliment coming from you." Ledo was still wary of most meat-based food, his diet mainly consisting of seaweed bread and produce. His body still needed the protein, so he made a few exceptions (especially when it came to Amy's cooking). Seafood wasn't bad, but the thought of eating another living being, especially something as enormous and odorous as a cow, still made him a bit queasy. And then, there was eel. Once he found out the rarity of these slippery creatures, he made sure to savor every bite. "You haven't tried anything until you had it with the special sauce."

"Are they done yet?" Bellows came over and reached for one the cooked eels. Pinion bravely slapped her hand away. "Hey!"

"Not yet."

"They don't need sauce!"

"I believe the taste-tester is the judge of that."

While the two squabbled, a sly hand reached over the grill and grabbed a skewer of eel. Lukkage winked at Ledo before taking a bite. "Not bad, kid."

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?!" Bellows and Pinion exclaimed.

"I heard about your little party. Thought I might crash it." The pirate handed the skewer to her two cronies to share and began reaching for another.

"Ah, ah, ah," Pinion admonished. "No one is allowed to take anymore eel. We have to have enough for everybody."

"Including me?" Lukkage swung her arms around the engineer's neck and smirked at him suggestively. He could practically feel the sharp glare of a certain excavator as she threw metaphorical daggers at his back.

"L-Ledo!" He broke from the pirate's grasp and practically hid behind the younger boy. "Call the girls up. It's time to eat."

Ledo, also growing uncomfortable by Lukkage's presence, ran over to the terrace and called the girls up for lunch. The three couriers swam over to the ladder and climbed up, hungrily prepared to get some eel and other grilled items. Once everyone was together, Pinion and Ledo started distributing food. Thirty minutes later, the girls were ready to jump back into the water.

"You coming, Ledo?"

Ledo nodded hesitantly. Shedding his T-shirt, he went over to join the girls. However, instead of going down the ladder like he thought they would, they jumped off the terrace, plummeting with joyous laughter and playful howls. The ashen-haired young man looked over the edge uncertainly.

"You don't have to jump if you don't want to. You're still learning, after all."

"Actually, this might be good for him." Bellows came over with a fixed look. "Diving is an essential part of learning how to use a Yunboro—aside from swimming, but that's a given."

"But Ledo's still learning the basics, and we haven't even started dolphin kicking… but I guess we can skip to diving. Are you okay with that, Ledo?" He nodded, letting Amy lead him over to where the ladder was.

"Diving's not that hard. It's much easier than swimming, so I'm sure you'll learn it in no time," she assured him. "All you have to do is jump." She jumped into the water before reaching the bottom of the ladder. Ledo sat on the ledge next to the ladder, his feet barely touching the waves. "Okay, before we do any actual diving let's review what you know so far. Show me how to float."

Sliding off the ledge, Ledo sank into the water. He relaxed like Amy had taught him, allowing his body to buoy along the waves like a dinghy.

"Good! Now try the backstroke."

With the same amount of calm, Ledo began cutting his strong arms through the water, kicking his legs against the gentle current.

"You're doing so great, Ledo! Now frontward… stroke."

"Front crawl," Melty corrected.

"Whatever." Ledo swam back around towards the girls the way Amy had instructed. "You're a natural at this, Ledo!"

"He is a fast learner," Saaya agreed. "Have you been practicing?"

Ledo nodded. "Bellows said it would be a good idea so I get accustomed to the feel of the water."

"Alright, enough of the beginner stuff," Melty interrupted. "I say he's ready to start diving."

"What do you say, Ledo?" Amy asked. "Ready to move on?"

"If you say I am."

The girls began climbing the ladder. Amy and Ledo were halfway up until she had them stop. Melty and Saaya continued their ascent without them.

"Okay, our first lesson starts here: Falling." Releasing the bar, the brunette fell back into the water. Ledo fought every instinct that told him to catch her as she fell past him and inwardly berated himself for being so paranoid. It was something he was still learning to control.

Once she popped out of the water, Amy waved. "Your turn!"

Ledo steeled himself before releasing the bar, spreading his arms out. The cold water bit at his skin due to the abrupt fall, but he was able to get his bearings pretty quickly, swimming over to Amy's side.

"That was good," she boosted. "Now let's move on to actual diving."

Amy led him over to the ledge and knelt down. "Just put one hand on top of the other like this and push off. Make sure your body is straight and you're facing forward." She demonstrated the action, and once again Ledo was able to pull it off flawlessly. This way was much more uniform than the shambolic falling maneuvers they had been practicing, and he accredited it to his militant caliber as well as his adept learning capacity for mastering the skill so fast.

"That was perfect!" Amy cheered, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Most people don't get it on the first try."

"Impressive as usual, Ledo." The teens looked up to see Bellows sitting on the ledge with her legs crossed and her chin resting on her palm. "In a few weeks' time you'll be ready to practice with the Yunboros."

"When did you—"

"You were so immersed in the lesson I didn't want to disturb." She smiled coyly at the younger girl. "You're a really good teacher, Amy. Do you always get so hands on with the students?"

Amy blushed, quickly moving away from the young man. She expected those kinds of comments from Melty. Speaking of which, she looked around the area, finally taking note of her friends' absence.

"We're about to start a diving contest," Bellows explained. "You guys want in?"

"Sounds like fun!"

"What are you competing for?" Ledo asked earnestly.

The redhead shrugged. "We haven't thought about it. Come on."

The three of them climbed back up just as the contest was about to start. It seemed that there were going to be a lot of participants. Surprisingly, Ridget stood amongst the competitors, and even Pinion had shed off his layers to be a part of the inevitable fun. Bebel, Dr. Oldham, and Lukkage and her crew were standing by as spectators. They sat farther away where the view was perfect for watching them dive off the terrace. Ledo decided to sit by Bebel and observe, having no experience other than the brief lesson he had with Amy.

"Okay, here's how this works." Pinion stood before the divers. "This is a game of style. Whoever has the most originality wins."

"Rules?" Bellows pressed.

"None, except make sure you don't land on whoever decides to stay in the water."

"What about judges?"

"Um…" Pinion turned to the spectators. "What about you guys?" Bebel looked to Ledo and the doctor while Lukkage and her crew exchanged glances. The decision was unanimous. "Alright! We have our judges. Now, who wants to go first?"

"Ladies first!" Melty claimed.

"You heard her, Pinion," Bellows quipped. "Why don't you go?"

"Funny."

"I'll go." Saaya, ever the pacifist, became the first contestant.

Ledo watched closely as each diver performed their own free style stunt. Saaya was not one to show off, so the first dive was fairly simple, like a straight jet into the water. Melty went next, folding her body into a ball before splashing right after her dark-haired friend. The third contestant was Ridget, who performed a much more impressive dive, hugging her legs together as she flipped through the air before straightening out right before she hit the water. Having never seen anything like it, Ledo became very enraptured in this contest.

Unfortunately, those dives weren't impressive enough for some of the judges, and Lukkage did not hesitate to express her boredom.

"It's not much of a contest," she drawled. "It's like they're not even trying."

Pinion sighed. "Come, Lukkage. It's just for fun." The pirate was not amused. "Fine. Care to make it more interesting?"

A sly smile formed. "Well, now that you mention it… Maybe if there was a prize…"

"That actually does make it sound more interesting," Bellows agreed, stunning most of the participants considering she never agreed with the pirate about anything. "What'd you have in mind?"

"… How about the last eel rack?"

Ledo's head snapped to the young boy who proffered such a tempting treat. This contest suddenly become more enticing.

Everyone looked at Bebel expectantly as he went towards the grill to lift the lid and, lo and behold, the last rack of eel was revealed, perfectly warm and tender for consumption.

Ledo's throat suddenly went dry.

"But Bebel, that's yours," Amy said. "Are you sure?"

"I could barely finish my first rack. I don't mind."

A drop of a sweat trickled down his pale brow as he leered at the eel. Its perfectly brown texture glistened with the saccharine sauce that kept it copiously saturated, adding more flavor to the exceptionally delicious treat. It was sinful how something on Earth—something in the entire _existence of mankind_ , could be so covetable. It taunted him, _mocked_ him, and all of a sudden he felt a hundred degrees warmer. He had never felt such a ravenous sensation in his life.

"Well, that's settles it," said Pinion. "We have our prize. So who wants to…?"

Everyone watched curiously as the former ensign stepped up to the plate. They had never seen him so determined, not even when it was his lifelong ambition to slay whalesquid. He turned so his back was facing the water. His audience waited with bated breath as his rigid form stood patiently. His heliotrope eyes closed and he counted with each breath… going in and back out slower… and slower… until…

Amy was startled when his eyes snapped opened and before anyone could recall what happened, he jumped off the terrace backwards, his body spinning two, three, four—five times!—before shooting into the water like a missile. No one on the fleet could pull off such a spectacular stunt, and yet Ledo, a former elite soldier who wasn't even native to this planet, had executed the dive like he'd done it a million times! As always, he managed to pull off something absolutely incredible.

As soon as Ledo popped back up to the surface, everyone immediately expressed their amazement, hooting and hollering while some just stood in awe.

"Way to go, Ledo!" Amy cheered.

"I guess there's no point in continuing the contest," Bellows said with a laugh. "Only Ledo could pull something like that off. He's made more progress than we thought."

"I wonder why that is," Pinion quipped sarcastically.

The white-haired boy hadn't wasted another second climbing back up to the terrace and claiming his prize. They watched in amusement as he happily munched on his new favorite treat.

The redhead laughed. "Yep, that'd done it."

"How is it, Ledo?" Amy asked.

Once the last bit of eel was cleanly scoffed down, Ledo smiled boyishly, not a speck of sauce to be seen. "When is the next contest?"

* * *

 **A/N: I just wanted to first apologize for taking so long. School is a bitch and has left me little time to write let alone think of new ideas. A few of you have given me some interesting prompts to start from, but I had something planned up to the twelfth chapter. After that, if any of you had any ideas, I will gladly consider them.**

 **Specials thanks to my reviewers:  
**

 **Weightless Writer  
Mick  
Jarjaxle  
Warrior1311  
viralhybrid29**

 **And thanks to all of those who have faved/followed me!**

 **Until next time: _R &R!_**


	7. Sweet Indulgences

**A/N: Because I'm in such a good mood due to the fact that I went to YOUMACAN today for the FIRST TIME EVER! I decided to update another chapter. I loved writing this one so much, and I hope you all love it, too.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Verdurous Seas, Cerulean Skies**

 **Sweet Indulgences**

Ledo didn't know what he was getting into when he let Amy teach him how to bake. The copious mess and the two squirrels hyped up on sugar flying about his kitchen were predictably inevitable. But he never anticipated finding himself on top of Amy on the kitchen table covered head to toe in flour, half-naked, and suffering from a sensation that made his shorts feel like they were shrinking.

And as he fell from the table, and Amy, he wondered how on Earth a peaceful day transformed into such a humiliating disaster.

 **~VSCS~**

It all started late in the morning. Ledo had the day off and decided to spend it at home making a new flute for Bebel. The younger boy loved collecting ancient relics, and since he was especially fascinated with Ledo's cultural artifacts, he decided to finish the flute so Bebel could have something else to do while he was indoors. Amy was usually busiest during this time of day, so he decided to visit Bebel once he was finished.

His laser gun buzzed softly, adding to the calm ambiance of the apartment. Aria sat close by happily nibbling on a cracker. A gentle wind passed through the window, alleviating the heat. Morning calmly faded into afternoon. A perfectly serene day…

… Until someone knocked on the door.

On any other day, Ledo happily welcomed unexpected guests, but today was just too perfect, so being disrupted from his placid task left him feeling a little fractious. But when he answered the door, his slight irritation diminished at the sight of Amy and Grace.

"Hey, Ledo!"

"Hello, Amy." The flying squirrel flew onto his shoulder, nuzzling against the crook of his neck. He rubbed her ear as he took note of the bags in Amy's arms.

"You're not busy are you?"

He shook his head. "I was going to see Bebel."

"Oh, good! Do you mind helping me with something first? It won't be long."

Profoundly incapable of denying her anything, Ledo moved to help her with her bags. As soon as they were on the table, Amy began taking things out and organizing them neatly. They were food ingredients, but nothing that Ledo was familiar with.

"I don't remember if I've told you this, but Bebel's birthday is coming up soon," she began to explain, "and every year I make him something special."

"I see…" Ledo looked at the various packages, handling some to analyze their girth.

One of the things he learned quickly after his happenstance upon the verdurous planet was that Earthlings loved to throw parties, something he originally thought was mundane and bizarre, but it was also one of the first things he quickly grew fond of. When he found out that birthdays fit into that category, Ledo once again felt that vapid feeling in his chest whenever he compared Earth traditions with the rigid mores of the Galactic Alliance. Back when he was a soldier, birthdays were only used as part of a census, to keep track of the status of each individual, ensign or not. They had much more meaning here on Earth, where all life was cherished, but he'd yet to understand their significance.

Whatever she had planned, he was more than willing to help, especially for Bebel's sake.

"This year," she continued, "I wanted to make _manjū_ buns. I would normally ask Melty and Saaya to help me, but they're busy." Little did Ledo know that Saaya and Melty were actually racing around the fleet on their sky-kites, free as birds.

Today was also their day off, but instead of joining her friends on another sky-kite excursion, the brunette decided to take advantage of this opportunity and spend her leisure time with the hoary-haired boy, just the two of them. Between his excavation job and her courier route, their time together was fleeting, and on rare days such as this one when they did have free time, it became an adverse beacon for social gatherings. Although Ledo didn't seem to mind, Amy was starting to get agitated, especially by Melty's ironic jabs about taking her sweet time to "hook up with the hotty"(how was she supposed to make her move when none of them could take a freaking hint?!).

It wouldn't be long until Melty and Saaya figured out where she was, so she didn't want to waste another second pondering on it. "Let's get started!"

Ledo only knew a few things about cooking, so baking was very new territory for him. She began by introducing him to the unfamiliar ingredients, specifically the buckwheat and azuki bean paste. She let him try some since she brought everything in excess, especially the paste, which was kept tightly wrapped so neither Grace nor Aria could get in it. The long-eared squirrel could easily detect the sweet scents inside the bags and immediately flew down towards the one containing sugar.

"If she gets into any of the sugary stuff, she'll be flying off the walls, and not in a good way," Amy warned him. As if to emphasize her point, the flying squirrel tried gnawing her way into the bag. She gave up shortly, noticing that the bean paste was not properly guarded, and went in for the kill. She managed a lick before Amy kindly took the bowl away and covered it up, then shooed the poor squirrel out of the kitchen.

After all their ingredients were gathered, they started making the dough. They took turns stirring and heating the mix and, when she wasn't looking, Ledo would sneak a taste of the bean paste. It seemed the squirrels weren't the only ones that got easily hooked on sugar.

It was a nice routine, and the two couldn't help noticing how natural it felt. These moments were so few and far between, and now that it was just the two of them, they relished it. No words were needed as the teens were easily engrossed in each other, even without suspecting their requited feelings for one another.

"Thanks for helping me with this," Amy said timidly. "I know you'd probably rather be relaxing on your day off than baking. Some guys think it's just boring wives work."

"I don't mind," Ledo said. "But why not bake at home?"

"Because I want Bebel to be surprised."

"Why?"

"Well, people appreciate gifts more when they don't expect them. Plus it's fun! I love surprising him just as much as I love making his surprise. His smile, the light in his eyes…" Ledo listened raptly as Amy reminisced, watching her react the same way as she'd described Bebel. Her smile lit up brightly as it always did whenever she was overcome with immense glee. Her eyes gleamed with the same intense joy, blue as the sky on a sunny day such as this one. There was no doubt Amy and Bebel were siblings, the two always radiating like suns: bright, bold, and impossible to snuff out. "Bebel's never asked for anything, so this is really the only time I get to spoil him!"

After a few more stirs, it was Ledo's turn at the stove again.

"I was working on my flute," he suddenly spoke, "before you came here."

Amy's eyebrow quirked up in interest. "Oh? Were you practicing?"

He shook his head. "I was making one, for Bebel. I was going to give it to him today, but…"

Realizing his intentions, Amy grinned. "That's really sweet, Ledo. I'm sure he'll love it." She interrupted herself when a thought came to mind. "Oh! I keep forgetting to ask. When's your birthday?"

Ledo had gone strangely silent and for a moment Amy thought she had made him insecure for asking. "I… I'm not sure," he answered after a few seconds of contemplation, but thankfully he didn't sound upset. "The conception of time here on Earth makes it easier to discern, but I haven't thought about it until now… Three months before I came here, I had turned sixteen. I've been on Earth for about seven months, so if I've calculated Earth's timeframe correctly, I should turn seventeen in about two months."

"Oh… wow." Seconds after the question was asked he was able to calculate the date of his birth without so much as a hiccup. "Wow" seemed like an appropriate, albeit lame, response. It just another quirk of Ledo's that made him the most incredible being she'd ever met. "That's good! In two months, we should throw you a party or something!"

"I don't need a party. But… maybe you could bake for me, too…"

Her cheeks burned up a bit, and for a moment she was very glad Ledo's back was turned. "O-Of course! Anything you want."

Ledo shifted a bit, his cheeks also enflamed.

After a while, the mix began getting doughy, and Amy announced that it was ready.

"This is the fun part." Taking the dough off the stove, she quickly set it aside before laying down a sheet on the kitchen table, spreading the buckwheat powder all over it. "Now we get to be messy!"

Throughout a majority of the process Amy kept her hands near Ledo's, assisting and teaching him how to carefully mold the bean paste into proportional clumps, and sometimes if she was lucky, his hands would accidentally touch hers. Once he got the gist of it, she put the dough on the sheet and covered it up with more buckwheat so it wouldn't stick to their fingers. Afterwards she began cutting it up into pieces and wrapping them around each ball of bean paste wholly. Then she rolled them a few at a time across the sheet for good measure. After making three, she let Ledo try.

That was when things started getting a little _too_ messy.

The afternoon heat was starting to get to them, but having the least resistance to the solar rays, Ledo began to perspire as soon as the first heatwave hit. He subconsciously wiped his forehead with the back of his hand aware that his palms were occupied and filthy, but he forgot to take into account the clingy, powdery buckwheat that had spread to his forearms, leaving a giant white streak across his forehead. Noticing this, Amy couldn't help laughing. Ledo's skin tone was already much paler than any of the residents of Gargantia, even Bebel, so the giant, bleach-white stain made his forehead look even more pristine.

In addition to his sweat, the dry buckwheat started to crust and fall. Catching on, Ledo smirked covertly before lightly flinging some buckwheat at her. Amy gasped as the powdery rain hit her in the face and her laughter elevated into animated squeals as the war raged on. Ten handfuls of buckwheat later, Amy noticed the ammo had been switched to flour and decided it was time to stop the frenzy since a majority of the starch was plastered all over the young excavator's body.

But it was hard to be serious when someone as serious as Ledo was acting so childishly. "L-Ledo—Ledo, _stop!_ " Amy laughed as Ledo hit her once last time. "We're not going to have enough for the rest!"

He paused and looked around, finally noticing the condition of the kitchen. "Sorry," he said sheepishly, a rosy tint blooming on his cheeks.

She laughed again, lightheartedly. "It's okay. I'm glad you're having fun."

Her hands reached over to brush the lingering powder off his cheek. He felt warm under her touch. Slowly, he put a hand on top of hers and, without warning, brought her doughy fingers to his lips. She nearly jumped at the tickling sensation of his tongue running smoothly along her index finger.

He took her hand away, savoring the taste. "… It's sweet."

"… Good." She dared not to look him in the eye, but curiosity got the best of her. Once blue met violet, they both stepped away from each other in haste of their embarrassment. "You should get cleaned up!" Amy winced at the high-strung, panicky tone and lowered her voice considerably. "I-I can handle the rest."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's no problem! We were almost done. Go ahead and change."

She didn't turn around until he was gone. But even after he had left Amy couldn't help feeling ill at ease. Far be it from her to overreact about anything and everything that made Ledo, well, _Ledo_ , but this was the first time he'd done something so… _sensual_. If there was a sign, _any_ sign, that said take a chance, it'd be beaming right above his head in flashy headlights! But as usual his natural charisma sent her into the foiling depths of stupidity. She had missed her chance and now she was hopelessly embarrassed. Melty would never let her live this down.

Sighing in defeat, the brunette finished making the _manjū_ buns with the rest of the dough. She decided to leave the rest of the bean paste for Ledo as a special treat and a special thanks for sacrificing his day off to help her. As she was covering up the sweet filling, a startling cry from the other room stopped her in her tracks. Running through the veiled threshold between the kitchen and Ledo's private quarters, Amy saw something that made her whole being turn absolutely flushed.

Ledo, who had initiated the cry, was now laughing irrepressibly as Grace and Aria scrambled all over his body, licking and nipping harmlessly on his starch-covered limbs. And he was half-naked. Of course this wasn't the first time she'd seen him shirtless, but it wasn't like he was wearing a swimsuit. And although it was inappropriate to see him this way, Amy couldn't help staring. Melty would definitely hate her for this.

"AH! _Grace!_ " The flying squirrel caught the scent of her companion and pounced the first chance she had seeing the brunette also covered in that sweet, sweet, powdery ambrosia. She managed to get to her hand, which were sticky with dough and bean paste. One lick and she was flying off the walls.

Grace's incredibly fast metabolic rate would leave her wanting more, so the first thing Amy thought to do was to cover up anything that had a trace of sugar. Logically, she went to shield the _manjū_ buns first, but the flying squirrel skipped over that and went to the good stuff: the azuki bean paste. "Grace, _no!_ "

In her haste, Grace accidentally knocked over the sack of flour, creating a dusty-white fog in the kitchen. It was absolutely everywhere, including in the young woman's eyes, which stung badly. While wiping her eyes, Amy had backed up into something, or rather someone, and they both toppled over each other onto the kitchen table, knocking over the tray of _manjū_.

"Amy!"

"Ledo?" Amy moved her hand away from her face and, though it was still hard to see, made out the extremely pasty-faced image of half-naked Ledo.

Nose-to-nose, under the cloudy curtain of flour, the teens were lying in a very compromising position. It seemed as they fell, Ledo made it so he wouldn't crush her on the table. One of his hands was under her back while his other arm cushioned the fall. Unfortunately, his position allowed her to feel things that suddenly brought her virginity into question. Ledo didn't even seem to notice, fretting over her wellbeing instead.

"Are you alright, Amy?"

"Yeah, but um…" She shifted nervously, not able to form words.

As soon as she moved, Ledo stiffened. His face was once again inflamed in awareness and discomfiture, further exacerbating his situation. He hastened to remove himself, his arm slipping from the table, and before he knew it he was on the floor. " _Ledo!_ "

 **~VSCS~**

No one could've seen this coming, least of all the shamefaced young man. Somehow he had managed to gracelessly stumble into the bathroom to wash away the flour and starch along with the rest of his pride. He had wanted to get closer to Amy and he jumped at the opportunity when she appeared at his doorstep, but that was _not_ what he had in mind. And even though he kept reminding himself that he used to be an elite soldier prepared for the worst disasters, biologically he was still an adolescent. There were still things about his body that he wasn't even aware of; nothing, not even a lifetime of military training regimens, could've prepared him for that baking catastrophe.

A gentle knock on the door brought him out of his mortified reverie. "Ledo? Are you okay?" He continued to scour himself raw. He wasn't sure if he was ready to even talk to her without feeling self-conscious about what happened. "I cleaned up the kitchen, and I left you a _manjū_ bun. I was able to save them all, so I thought it's the least I can do for all your help…" The silence unsettled him, and though he knew she was still there, he also knew he opt to say _something_. He at least owed her an apology.

He approached the door reluctantly. "Amy?" He grasped the knob. "I…"

She pushed the door open for him, a very apologetic smile settling on her lips. "It's okay, Ledo. You don't have to apologize. It was all an accident. Plus if anyone should be sorry it's me. We don't get to be alone together often, and since we both weren't working today, making Bebel's special birthday surprise seemed like the perfect excuse to come over and, you know…"

Seeing her so bashful, Ledo felt even guiltier. "Next time, Grace and Aria should stay with Bebel."

She looked up at his modest heliotropes, skeptically hopeful. "Next time?"

He nodded. The quixotic prospect of being alone with Amy made him smile foolishly. There would be a next time, indeed, but it would be different.

"Oh, you have a little something on your cheek." Before he could reach up to wipe away the missed glob, the young woman leaned forward and licked his cheek. She licked her lips in a savory display of coquettishness before grinning back at him innocuously. "You were right; it is sweet."

For the third time that day, Ledo's complexion was overtaken by a delightful sensation.

Amy giggled as he shut the door politely to deal with his issue. At least she finally knew how he felt.

* * *

 **Bet none of y'all saw that coming. HAPPY DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN!**

 **And please be sure to _R &R!_**


	8. Aria II

**A/N: Good news for those who have stuck around: in two weeks winter break begins and I will be _completely_ free for the rest of this year, so I will have more time to write more VSCS drabbles! YAY!**

 **Now enjoy!**

* * *

 **Verdurous Seas, Cerulean Skies**

 **Aria II**

"You ready for this?"

Ledo nodded curtly to his superior as he climbed up his assigned Yunboro. This would be his fourth expedition, and after the last three, greenhorn Ledo had become less green. His initial fears of piloting these amphibious machines had all but dissipated after his first voyage, but aside from whalesquid, there were still many things in the sea that he'd yet to come upon. The chances of completely avoiding the cephalopods themselves was extremely slim, but his fingers stayed crossed.

"I think after this you'll finally be ready to go out on your own," Bellows said. "That is, if you want to."

"Really? Are you sure?"

The expert excavator nodded confidently and gave him one of her brightest smiles. "You're making waves, soldier boy. I've never seen progress as impressive as yours. You think you'll stay with us in the long run?"

"I'm not sure, but I can't imagine doing anything else at the moment. My options are limited."

"Well, there's always the courier route." Bellows smirked seeing the young man fluster. "But you're always welcome to stay with us."

"Thank you, Bellows. You don't know how much I appreciate this."

"Don't mention it. Now go find me something good." She winked at him, causing his blush to intensify.

As soon as he was nestled inside, Bellows tapped the arm of the Yunboro, indicating for the operator to release the vessel into the water.

Ledo never thought much about superstition or even the naïve concept of luck, but ever since he started bringing his communicator with him during these expeditions, he started finding all sorts of treasures, from outdated computer hard drives to rusty time capsules and even some antiquated toys. Most of his bounty consisted of ancient texts and other things that were useful to Bebel, the amateur residential anthropologist of Gargantia. Ledo felt a sort of obligation towards Bebel after everything he'd done for him, not to mention the enthusiastic smile on the younger boy's face whenever he brought back some ancient trinket served as further motivation to continue his expeditions. Everyday his goal was not to disappoint, and the presence of the communicator helped accomplish that.

This time, along with the communicator, Ledo brought Aria, who was currently hiding in his shirt pocket. Usually on work days, Aria would stay at home or with Bebel, more often than not flying around the fleet with Grace and exploring every nook and cranny she could squeeze herself into. But the other day Bebel reported how the small-eared flying squirrel was becoming lethargic as of late, not even so much as leaving the apartment unless he took him to class with him. Only whenever Ledo returned home did she spring back into her normal, chipper self. Ledo wasn't so sure how she would feel cooped up in a Yunboro, but if it could possibly make her happier, then he saw no reason not to at least see how she would handle it.

After his Yunboro was released, Ledo waited subordinately for his partner. Once everyone was in the water, Bellows began shipping out her orders:

" _Alright, guys. Standard procedure. These waters are calm and the area is wide, so I'm sure at least_ one _of you will find something—and hopefully something expensive. Good luck._ "

Standard procedure usually entailed the expeditors to split up into designated sections of the area. Only two divers were allowed in the water at a time. The salvage team, which currently consisted of four divers, would run three hours shifts before switching while a lookout boat made sure there wasn't any trouble about the surface. During each shift, the divers would go through any items that they might have possibly found, but rarely did anyone resurface without so much as a scrap of shrapnel after three hours of scouring the ocean floor.

Ledo's partner was someone he worked with often during his drills, Joe's younger brother, Haru. He was Bellows's age, but he had only been a part of the team for a year, having joined the year before Ledo came to Earth. As the previous salvage team rookie, Haru was put in charge of Ledo's training and he did not take it lightly. After all the hubbub with the cult and the fact that there was not only one but _two_ alien soldiers flying around their planet killing whalesquid _and_ people alike, the older boy was extremely skeptical, walking on eggshells whenever they saw each other outside of Bellows's ship.

At the time Ledo was still self-conscious about how the people of Gargantia perceived him, and he was unfortunately paired with one of the many who were still intimidated by him. Even though Bellows emphasized equity among her fellow crew members, there was no way she could change how they felt about him.

"Give him time," the lead excavator encouraged, having noticed Haru's attitude a week after Ledo started training. "If it makes you feel any better, he's not afraid of you. He's just… curious. Joe told me he wouldn't stop asking questions about you when you and Chamber started working in the cargo hold. He's actually a lot friendlier once you get to know him, and a lot chattier. You might regret trying to make nice once he finally opens up."

After several months of training exercises, as Bellows predicted, Haru's attitude did a complete 180 and he started treating Ledo as if he were a lifelong buddy. Although Amy's swimming lessons helped him immensely when it came to maneuvering his body in the water, under Haru's tutelage, Ledo was able to perform his assigned tasks with flying colors, and handling the intricate mechanizations of the Yunboros became child's play. And, honestly, it felt really nice making a friend on his own.

" _You ready, Ledo?_ " Though he couldn't see his face, Ledo imagined Haru giving him a face-splitting grin along with a thumbs-up.

"I'm always ready."

" _I'd expect nothing less from you. Let's see if we can find something impressive for Boss-Lady._ "

The two were assigned to the area closest to Gargantia, which was always deemed safe. The more experienced pilots would go to the other side of the salvage ship during the first shift change.

Before they did any excavating, Haru and Ledo scoped the area, making sure no lingering predators or predatory habitats were around. Ledo moved the levers so he could submerge in place and observed how Aria was holding up. Naturally, she was very curious about her new surroundings. Ledo watched in amusement as the little ball of fur began crawling around the cockpit, trying to find new nooks and hidden crannies that were too small even for her. Finally, she had found a spot to her liking, resting soundly next to the only thing that was familiar, the communicator.

" _I heard what Boss-Lady said about you going solo. I didn't think you were you planning on leaving me so soon._ "

Ledo looked back at the reef they encountered. "I'm not leaving anyone. It was Bellows's idea."

" _I figured. I'm actually kind of jealous. I think you're her favorite._ "

Ledo moved aside as a snake-like creature slithered out of a hole in the coral. "I'm no one's favorite."

" _Not true,_ lover-boy _. I see the way you look at Amy, and I know you're blushing._ " Ledo felt his cheeks warm up again, and he felt slightly miffed that even Haru could predict his embarrassment. " _And if you're wondering how I know, it's because_ everybody _knows. You two need to hookup already_."

Ledo didn't respond as he spotted something glowing next to the reef, and he was immensely grateful for the distraction. "Haru, I think I've found something." The glowing object was coming from some wreckage. A rotted fleet ship that was obviously neglected long enough to sink in on itself laid precariously next to the lip of the ocean floor cliff. Below it lay nothing but darkness and a possible deathtrap for poor unfortunate souls.

This was the sort of place for the experienced divers, but that did not deter the vivacious Haru. " _There's bound to be something in there!_ "

"I think we should have Greg and Menma look at it," Ledo advised, referring to their more expert compatriots. "We are not proficient enough to check out this area. It's too dangerous." And though he didn't voice it, the glow was ominously familiar to him.

" _Man, you sound like a space cadet... then again—_ "

"Haru."

" _Lighten up, will ya? We can handle this on our own. If it makes you feel better, we can just look. If we see anything of value, we'll call it in._ "

"… Fine." But as reluctant as he was, Ledo's curiosity was getting the better of him.

As the two pilots swam over the abyss to the wreckage, Ledo noticed that the ship was already fused into the ocean floor, making it very secure despite its hazardous position. The ominous glow acted like a beacon, guiding them closer and closer to unknown goods. Or perhaps they were just being optimistic. They found a giant gash at the bow of the ship, but it was only big enough for one of them to slip inside. Ledo immediately volunteered to go in, and Haru humored his caution, monitoring the outside of the ship as Ledo did a once over inside.

As soon as he was inside, Aria became fidgety. This would've concerned him if he didn't already have a growing suspicion about this place. The little ball of agitation began to scurry about the cockpit as if looking for the closest exit. Ledo quickly snatched her up so he could concentrate on piloting the Yunboro. He deposited her in his pocket and caressed her cheek, but he doubted the action would placate her for long.

After observing some of the domestic animals that resided on the fleet (mostly Grace and Aria), he quickly learned that they were more sensitive to the unpredictable conditions of this planet, making their instincts much sharper than humans. So either Aria had suddenly become extremely uncomfortable with the confined space, or she was sensing danger (which otherwise warranted her discomfort in the confined space). Either way, the last thing he needed was for the wily squirrel to accidentally knock over the wrong lever and send their aquatic vessel into the ground.

The glowing from earlier was nearly blinding now, and as he swam closer to it, his growing suspicion slowly transformed into fearful apprehension. He knew he'd seen this glow before, but he was drawing a blank. The fluorescent light pulsated, like a heart. Nothing like this glowed so fervently. Not unless it was organic…

 _Organic… pulsating… like a heartbeat… oh no…_

"Haru, we need to retreat!"

" _Why? What did you find?_ "

"Never mind that! We have to go—!"

His warning was heeded too late as the ship began to tremble, causing debris to fall from what was left of the wreckage. In a scenario like this, the normally levelheaded Ledo would have acted and evacuated as he should have. In fact, if the formerly elite ensign was still around, he would have adhered to his instincts—not to mention Chamber's analytical danger protocols—and done what any Galactic soldier would have in this very situation. But the Ledo of today, the Ledo who was so focused on what he _should have_ done—what he _could have_ done several months ago—was too paralyzed by the fact that his inner demons had come to life.

" _Le—get—I—help—!_ "

The connection between him and Haru grew fuzzy, but the static between them was white noise compared to his erratic heartbeat pounding in his ears. His breath hitched as the alabaster tentacles tore the ship further apart. The rotting metal, as corrosively brittle as it was, was still difficult for the beast to rip away, so it gave him time, time he needed to make up for due to his petrified stupor.

Switching gears, Ledo did a quick survey of the area to find the closest exit. Unfortunately, the only way out of this jam was the same way he had been heading. Quelling inner panic, the young pilot headed out of the frying pan and into a cerulean flame.

 **~VSCS~**

Going through the whalesquid nest was like swimming through one of his post-traumatic nightmares, each one more vivid than the last. This one was the absolute worst.

He found himself back in Chamber's cockpit, watching as the Machine Caliber destroyed every last Hideauze. He couldn't help noticing the luminescent forms of the Hideauze larvae and how they resembled human fetuses as opposed to the monstrous blobs he'd seen at first glance. As Chamber plowed through their numbers, Ledo cried for him to stop, but the Machine Caliber did not break protocol, running his laser through them until they were bits of organic debris. The metallic smell of blood permeated the cockpit, and he felt sick to his stomach. Then the human-sized juvenile appeared, looking as innocent as he remembered. It smiled at him, like any small, naïve child would a stranger, or a potential friend. It made his heart ache, and his stomach churned in anticipation. As usual, the night terror ended with the decimation of the Hideauze child, but instead of Chamber's metallic hand, it was his own. At the realization of what he'd done, he cried.

Somewhere between the gore and his cries of anguish, he found himself back in the Yunboro, sweaty and tearstained. Seeing nothing but utter darkness, he cried again.

He was a damn fool to think that something as mundanely superstitious as Chamber's communicator would be enough to scare away his innermost demons. Now they were out there, waiting to kill him, and he was here, quite literally stuck between a rock and a hard place. There was no way he would make it out of this alive, and even if he did somehow summon enough courage to face that whalesquid, he doubted he would do anything to defend himself. Not if he brought him penance.

This moment was the most human he had ever felt, and it absolutely terrified him.

Prickly little paws clawed at his chest, reminding him that he was not the only one stuck in the Yunboro. After wiping his tears away, Ledo carefully took Aria out of his chest pocket and cradled her shivering form against his.

Spotting the communicator in his periphery, Ledo's thoughts once again went back to Chamber and he immediately scolded himself for using the Machine Caliber as an emotional shield. He needed to stop thinking like that—like a soldier. Chamber was gone and he was no longer a part of the Galactic Alliance. He had new friends, a new team with whom he worked and got along with very well, a group of lively characters that would always remind him that he would never be alone on this Earth…

 _Amy…_

That's right. He had people he needed to get back to.

 _Amy, Bebel, Melty, Saaya, Pinion, Bellows, Haru… Haru!_

Hopefully, the older boy had gotten to safety before the whalesquid had attacked and was going back to the escort team to get some help.

 _Hopefully_.

It was the only sentiment he couldn't afford to lose.

The cramped space of the Yunboro allowed very little room for comfort, and it was starting to affect both of the occupants of the Yunboro. Ledo shifted his legs away from the mechanisms so he could huddle into his seat and relieve some of the tension coming off of his companion. Unfortunately, that only served to make Aria more agitated and she scrambled out of his hands soon after he moved. "Aria!" Before he could reach her, the little ball of fur found her way into the left pocket in his shorts. His patience was wearing thin, and he was starting to regret bringing an antsy flying squirrel into an aquatic vessel several leagues under the sea. He reached into his pocket expecting to find his furry companion, but instead of feeling Aria's mousy pelt he felt something solid and cold brush against his fingers. It was hard to reach in his new position, his left side jammed against the seat, and Aria was no help at all, wriggling through the pocket and throwing his hand off course. After a moment of struggling, he was finally able to get a grip on the item, and he was shocked when he felt the familiar holes and smooth texture of his flute.

He didn't remember bringing the instrument with him, but as soon as he brought it out of his pocket, he felt a real sense of relief, as if a tremendous weight lifted from his shoulders, allowing him to finally breathe. Aria found her way out of his pocket shortly after, her twitchy whiskers brushing against his skin. He made to grab for her again, but he stopped himself when he realized something:

Bringing his first haul back to the surface was the first time he'd seen that excitement on Bebel's face. After that moment, Ledo wanted nothing more than to continue to make the boy smile and exceed his expectations. Bebel reminded him so much of his little brother in that aspect, and he didn't want to let that latent memory of his brief time with the long-lost sibling slip away again. That was when he started bringing the flute with him on his expeditions, and around the same time Aria became lethargic.

Ledo almost laughed at this, despite their dour predicament. Now he had another reason to thank Bebel.

Without a second thought, he brought the handmade instrument to his lips and played. The soothing tones of the lullaby immediately put Aria at ease, and she snuggled into his lap as she drifted off. Ledo was nearing the end of the melody when the Yunboro began to quake.

Setting the flute aside, Ledo rearranged himself back in front of the controls, steeling himself for the worst. Just like before, pale, shiny tentacles tore at the rotting walls that had trapped the vessel, and once again the young salvager was faced with a living nightmare. But as defensive as it was, the cephalopod made no move to attack the young pilot. Instead, the multiple eyes of the cephalopod merely glared at him, as if daring him to move. That didn't stop Aria, who was stirred from sleep as soon as Ledo moved back into position.

The short-eared squirrel scrambled to find her primary source of comfort, landing harshly next to the instrument as Ledo moved the Yunboro away from the beast. The squeal she released after being thrown around was released enough wind to go through the flute, sounding a sharp whistle. Ledo used one hand to grab both the squirrel and the instrument, and he waited with bated breath to see how the whalesquid would react. This time, a guttural hum resonated from it. Glancing between the flute and the beast, Ledo was astounded. He brought the flute back up to his lips, making a quiet, soothing note. The hum grew, and the tentacles that held taut to the metal relaxed.

 _Unbelievable._

Once again, Ledo played, and the whalesquid advanced, but not to attack. Its multi-eyed gaze found the almost imperceptible window that allowed Ledo to see, searching for something. The moment was brief, but as he stared back into those visceral eyes, Ledo saw something he'd never thought he'd witness.

 _Understanding._

"… _edo! Ledo! ... is Bellows! The salvage team… coming! ... Hold on!_ "

The signal of the radio was still weak, but it was enough to send the whalesquid back, and it swam off, the pilot completely forgotten. He slumped back against his seat, relieved, exhausted, but mostly astounded by his new discovery. He barely registered the approaching Yunboros coming to his rescue, not that he still needed it.

" _Ledo! Thank goodness!_ " Haru was the first to reach him. " _You okay? I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you before! We should have retreated like you said!_ "

" _Was that a whalesquid that just passed by?_ " The older, gruffer voice belonged to Greg. He and Menma were hanging back, most likely watching the retreating form of the mature whalesquid.

" _It's leaving. It didn't even take notice of us_ ,"the soft-spoken Menma observed. " _Why isn't it protecting its nest?_ "

"Because it knows we're not a threat."

The three Yunboro pilots turned to their fellow rookie curiously. " _How does it know that?_ " Haru asked.

Ledo brought the flute up, reinvigorated with newfound resolve. "Because I told it so."

* * *

 **A/N: This is right before the epilogue of the last episode. I wanted to emphasize the humanity of the Hideauze and show how Ledo discovered how to communicate with them. I love writing with Aria; her little antics actually lead to great discoveries, not to mention she's just so darn cute!**

 **Alright, until next time: _R &R!_**


	9. Red Strings

**A/N: A special treat to all who waited so patiently. This is a little glimpse into Amy and Ledo's future. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Verdurous Seas, Cerulean Skies**

 **Red Strings**

"You're _what?!_ "

The outcry drew the attention of some passersby, and the strawberry blonde quickly covered her friend's mouth with her own two hands. She smiled nervously at the spectators, and she sighed in relief as they dismissed their conversation as childish gossip and went back to their own business. "Could you not be so loud? I'm trying to keep this on the down-low."

"But—what—how—why—"

"Calm down, Amy. I told you guys first because I thought you'd understand."

"How could I possibly understand? I'm not planning to _elope with my boyfriend!_ "

Melty rolled her eyes. "We're not eloping. We're just getting married without telling our families."

"That's the _exact_ definition of eloping!"

As the girls continued their argument, Ledo looked to their other friends as they congratulated Melty's flustered fiancé. Earlier today, Melty and Haru had invited everyone to lunch, claiming they had some really exciting news. After the announcement was made, no one was surprised the young man had some questions.

"Eloping? You mean marriage?"

"You guys have marriages in space?" Saaya asked.

"There isn't a place in this universe where a woman can't tie you down," Pinion said accordingly. He patted Haru's shoulder for the tenth time that day. "Good luck with this one, bud. She's a spitfire, but I'm guessing you already know that."

Bellows elbowed him in the gut. "She's not even eighteen, you perv! And you…" She turned back to Haru with a stern look, making him shudder in fear of what she planned to do to him. "I don't know about you, but I don't approve of lolicons on my excavation team, you little—"

"I'm not a pervert!"

"What is so unusual about Haru and Melty getting married?" asked Ledo.

"Well, for one thing, minors aren't allowed to get married," explained Saaya.

"Minors?"

"People under eighteen," clarified Bellows. "Melty's only seventeen, so she's _just_ under the legal age of adulthood."

"At least on this planet," Pinion murmured. "I'm sure Ledo's people have some sort of weird regulations or whatever that prevent them getting married until they're thirty."

"Actually, there is no set age for adulthood in the Galactic Alliance. One's merit is determined by their skill set and how far they excel in training. Technically speaking, I became an adult on my thirteenth birthday."

"So that means you could have gotten married when you were a teenager," Saaya surmised.

"The ideal age of matrimony is 16, but yes, technically, I could have found myself a companion whenever I felt the need, though it is rare for adolescents to marry so young. To be honest, I was never really interested in the prospect of settling down. I was too devoted to the oath I took the moment I became an ensign. Marriage seemed too impractical to me at the time since we were constantly under the threat of the Hideauze, so I never speculated it, not even when Chamber suggested it."

Pinion couldn't help laughing at that. "You were such a stick-in-the-mud that even the giant tin can had to tell you to settle down?"

"Well, it's a good thing that stick-in-a-mud is no longer here." Bellows smiled at him, and the platinum-haired excavator gave her a wistful grin of his own.

"Yes, I suppose he isn't."

"Which begs the question: When are you and Amy going to tie the knot?" Ledo met his superior's question with a blank look. "You know, get married?" His expression didn't change. "Don't tell me you _still_ haven't thought about it!"

"Oh my," Saaya giggled, seeing how flustered the young man became. "If anyone was going to get married so early, it'd be you two. It's like you were brought together by the red string of fate."

"'Red string of fate'? What's that?"

"It's a metaphor. Like destiny. The red string of fate is the everlasting link between two people who are absolutely meant to be together, through this life and the next."

"Marriages aren't taken lightly on Gargantia, so it's especially emphasized on the day of the wedding," Bellows added. "During the ceremony, the couple-to-be ties a string around their pinkies, which symbolically joins them together forever." She rolled her eyes at the notion as if were a childish custom.

"How do they know they married the right person to spend the rest of their lives with?"

Bellows leaned back against her chair as she thought about the question. "Hm… that's a good question. It's fairly simple really, but people tend to make it… _complicated_." Saaya didn't ignore the way the older woman's eyes drifted to the oblivious blonde chatting it up with Haru.

"How so?" Ledo asked dubiously.

"Well, who do you imagine spending the rest of your days with, the one person you can't possibly live without? Who do you trust with your life—your _entire being_ —more than anyone, and who would you in turn die for? Whose life do you cherish so dearly, nothing on Earth could compare to the suffering of losing that person forever—?"

"To put it simply," Saaya interrupted before Bellows's question could turn into a convoluted tangent, "this isn't something we can answer for you, Ledo. Ultimately, it comes down to how you feel: Who do _you_ want to marry? Who do _you_ love?"

 _Who do I… love?_

Was that even a question?

With newfound determination, the young man stood erect and walked confidently up to Amy and Melty. The girls were still having at it, completely oblivious to the very deep-thinking conversation their friends just had, but their heated debate was abruptly interrupted when Ledo took Amy's hands in each of his own. "Amy."

Amy looked up at him in befuddlement. "Ledo…?"

"Marry me."

"… _HUH!?_ "

 **~VSCS~**

Amy stared aimlessly out the window, her eyes following the gulls enviously as they flew carefree. She remembered when her friends used to ride their sky-kites around the fleet and race towards a nonexistent finish line. Now they were older, they had less time for fun and games, they were on the cusp of adulthood—and it scared her to death.

She never actually thought much of it. As they had got older, things barely changed. A few months ago, the girls were promoted from their courier jobs, handling more management-oriented positions, which were much more mundane than making the actual deliveries. While Saaya didn't mind the paperwork, Melty and Amy decided to go in another direction by mentoring new recruits. Though having kids under her tutelage did establish a more prominent sense of responsibility, it still didn't make her feel too grownup. After all, rising up the professional ladder was a part of a life that every person on Gargantia, including children, participated in one way or another. And since she and her friends had had the same job since they were twelve, it didn't feel much had changed at all.

Until Melty announced her engagement the day before. And not only was she getting married, but she and Haru were also planning on _leaving_ Gargantia.

After the initial shock, Amy became inexplicably upset. Yes, at times Melty was impulsive and a bit mischievous for her own good, but even she had enough common sense to know that getting married so abruptly and then leaving the only place they called home was a stupid idea, even by her standards. Then again, this was the same girl who had flown a sky-kite through tumultuous winds and milky fogs for hours on end—but Amy had no doubt this would be the most outrageous stunt thus far. Melty didn't seem to understand that, and Amy didn't hesitate to point it out, even though it only made the strawberry blonde livid.

And then Ledo did the absolute unthinkable: he proposed. It wasn't the most romantic gesture, not to mention it was so out of the blue, but what really tipped her off the edge was the determination set in his gaze, as if it was an obligation—another one of his _missions_. Considering Ledo's reform, it was an absurd assumption, but having been fired up from her bout with Melty, it made her absolutely furious. After chewing him out, she stormed off from the scene and went home (not to cry or mope or anything of the sort, of course).

"Amy, you've been staring out that window for the past half hour. Are you okay?"

The troubled girl turned away from the window and frowned at the pristine fabric lying on her table top. "Do you even have to ask?"

Saaya just smiled as she continued to stitch the seams on Melty's wedding dress. The younger girl was off with Bellows to find last minute décor and flower arrangements for the girls to hold while the boys were searching for someone legal to secretly delegate the ceremony and marry the couple without notifying Melty and Haru's families.

"It's not the end of the world," the older girl said.

"They haven't even been together for six months! She's still seventeen!"

"That's why they decided to hold the wedding on her birthday, and that's only in two days."

Amy vaguely remembered Melty mentioning something about that before they broke out into their quarrel:

 _"Makes sense, doesn't it? That way he has no excuse to_ not _to remember our anniversary_ or _my birthday! It'll be so romantic!"_

 _Oh yeah…_ "But—I—"

"If I didn't know any better, Amy, I'd say it sounds like you're making excuses to prevent Melty from getting married first; she's the only one who still hasn't turned eighteen, after all."

"Do you really think I'm that petty?"

"Are you?"

"Of course not! But how can Melty think this is okay? How can she believe _I_ think this is okay?"

"This doesn't have anything to do with a certain spaceman's proposal, does it?"

Amy paused and crossed her arms over her stomach as she thought back to yesterday, feeling abashed for making such a scene in front of their friends. "A little. Maybe I overreacted a little…" Saaya gave her a look that told her otherwise. "Okay, I _completely_ overreacted. But the way he said it, it made me feel like… an obligation. He made it seem like it was something we had to do just because it's an Earth custom. Like it was another way for him to fit in, you know?" She turned her gaze back to the window, her exasperation slowly evaporating into melancholy. "I love him, but… I want him to propose when he _wants_ to propose, not when he feels he has to just because our friends decided to have a shotgun wedding."

"Melty's not pregnant."

"You know what I mean! I don't want other people to influence his decisions!"

"How do you know Ledo doesn't honest to goodness want to marry you?"

"I'm not saying he doesn't. I'm just saying… I want a proposal from my boyfriend, not from the boy who crashed down here from space three years ago."

Setting the dress aside, Saaya moved a seat closer to her distraught friend and set her hands in her lap. "Do you remember the story our parents used to tell us about the red string of fate?"

"Everyone knows about the red string of fate. It's a part of the ceremony."

"I'm talking about the _story_ , Amy. Do you remember?"

Amy thought back to when she first heard the story. Her parents had told her when she was so little, but she remembered the story as if she just heard it yesterday. Long ago, the lunar matchmaker god, Yue Xia Lao, linked couples together through an eternal bond by tying a red string around their ankles. The first couple he matched was a young boy and girl, but the boy was not keen on Yue Lao's match so he scared away the girl who was supposed to be his wife. Many years later when the boy became a man, he was betrothed to one of the renowned beauties in his village. Later during their honeymoon, the boy found out he ended up marrying the girl Yue Lao had set him up with.

It was one of the oldest stories told in Gargantia—one of the oldest stories to last on Earth—and the ancient folklore inspired the denizens of Gargantia to take on the tradition of tying red strings around their pinkies instead of haphazardly tying their ankles together. But as romantic as the story was, Amy didn't see what Saaya's point was.

"You're not… You really think me and Ledo were drawn toward each other by _fate_?"

"You don't?" Amy shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, Ledo seems to think so." Her eyes widened, and the black-haired girl nodded affirmatively. "Yep, he was asking all sorts of questions about fate, and after I told him the story, I saw something in him change. I think he wholeheartedly believes you two are soulmates, and he seems to have a lot of faith in your relationship. In fact, you're the only one who still has any doubts. Perhaps it's not in my place to say so, but maybe you need to think about what you want to get out of this relationship instead of making Ledo wait for you."

Amy felt as if she had been stabbed in the chest by one of Saaya's sewing needles. Ledo seemed like the last person who would believe something as ingenuous as destiny, but he wouldn't have been so adamant to marry her if he didn't think he was ready to take the next step. At least that was what she wanted to believe. She bit her lip anxiously in thought.

Why _did_ she still have doubts? Perhaps she wasn't as ready to take the next step as he was? But why not? Was it his proposal? Was it just that unromantic? Was she _really_ that petty?

Before she could get another word out, Melty burst through the door. "We found someone to do the ceremony for us!" she proclaimed. "Now all we need is…" Spotting her nearly-finished wedding gown, she squealed in delight. "Oh, Saaya! It's so beautiful! I can't wait to try it on!"

"Well, I do need to do the finishing touchups, and the only way I can do that is if the bride-to-be is in it." Saaya stood and held out the dress for her. Melty could barely contain herself as she took it into the bathroom to try it on.

Meanwhile, Amy looked back out the window at the gulls, feeling more miserable than before.

 _If Melty's grownup enough to get married, what does that say about me?_

 **~VSCS~**

The day of the wedding had come much quicker than Amy had anticipated. Of course, having such an impromptu ceremony within two days' preparation tended to do that, but she thought she'd have more time to keep Melty from doing something so hasty. Of course, her plan was botched the moment she began doubting her own decisions.

As the other girls were getting ready, Amy stared aimlessly in front of the mirror, replaying the same conversation she had with Saaya over and over and over again, when a hand lightly touched her shoulder. Looking up, Amy noticed that the other girls had left the room, except for Melty, who was smiling endearingly at her best friend, with just a hint of concern.

"Do you want me to help you with your hair?"

"Shouldn't I be helping you? _You're_ the bride."

"But _you're_ the only one who's not ready. You haven't even put on any makeup." Looking in the mirror, Amy saw that she was indeed unprepared for the ceremony. Melty, on the other hand, was fully dressed, her hair and makeup all done up thanks to the other girls. Her wedding dress was stunning; subtle and elegant, Melty was a vision of beauty. Amy was a little jealous, but only about the dress. As much as she rued this day, it still belonged to Melty.

With stubborn huff, Melty took the brush off the vanity and began doing Amy's hair. "Melty, stop—"

"No. I can't have my Maid of Honor looking like a mess on my special day, can I?" She winked playfully at the brunette, and Amy returned the gesture with a small albeit uncomfortable smile.

The silence dragged on for a while, and there was still so much Amy wanted to say. It _needed_ to be said, she told herself, but she knew that notion was just insincere.

 _This isn't about the wedding, or even Melty. And you know it._

"I'm sorry, Amy."

Amy looked up at her friend's reflection in surprise. The strawberry blonde was still smiling, but it was sadder than it had been a moment ago. "Why are you apologizing?" she asked. "I'm the unsupportive friend."

"You were just looking out for me, and we had a stupid fight because we're both equally stubborn. I guess I wasn't really thinking about how you'd really feel once I told you. I just assumed you'd be as okay with it as everybody else, but I should've known better. You've always seen things differently than everyone else. Ever since Ledo showed up…"

The mention of her boyfriend made Amy heart clench. Her throat felt tight as she spoke again, "Sometimes, I wish I didn't see things so differently."

"But if everyone saw things the same way, then we'd be missing out on a lot, wouldn't we?" Melty stopped brushing and started putting up Amy's hair. "Ledo would think so. You two have always been so sure of everything. Your love life, moving in together—it's so obvious you guys are meant to be together, and you've made it work so well here. I want the same thing for me and Haru, but we want to do it somewhere other than Gargantia.

"You're my best friend, Amy. You've always looked out for me whenever I got carried away, and you've always supported me whenever I was uncertain of myself. Even if I had to wait a whole _year_ for you to be okay with it, I would do it because what you think matters a lot to me."

"What?! Then why are you still going through with it _today_?"

"Because this isn't about me, and we both know it."

Amy bit her quivering lip, afraid once she released it she would start yelling or crying or both. Sometimes she really hated when Melty became introspective. Now all she wanted to do was curl up in Ledo's secure embrace, drift into the cerulean sky, and forget the last 48 hours ever happened.

Setting aside the hair accessories, Melty bent over and hugged her friend. Amy gripped her like a lonely child and accidentally released a sob. "Hey, now. No tears. You're going to ruin my dress," Melty teased lightheartedly.

Once she calmed down, Amy pulled away to wipe her unremitting tears. "I haven't talked to him since I yelled at him, Melty. He probably doesn't want to see me let alone marry me, not after I humiliated him."

"Doubt it. He's probably more worried than anything. Ledo loves you, Amy. And besides, you two are practically already married, so there's no reason not to accept a second proposal."

"Second proposal?"

Melty backed away from the chair as her friend looked at her in astonishment. "Oops. Pretend you didn't hear that. Just talk to him."

Amy nodded, putting aside her dilemma. This was Melty's special day, after all. "Okay… Are you absolutely sure about… _this_?"

The blush on the bride's cheek turned a brighter shade of pink. "I've never been more certain of anything in my life. I love him so much."

"Then… at least wait a _year_ before you leave."

"You just want us to wait long enough to change our minds, don't you?" Amy smiled sheepishly. "One week."

"Six months."

The strawberry blonde rolled her eyes. "Fine. I promise. Now let's clean you up." She wiped away Amy's lingering tears and covered up the salty rivers with some foundation. "There. Now no one will know."

"But—"

"You look fine." Melty smiled warmly at her. "Besides, you're not allowed to look prettier than the bride."

 **~VSCS~**

Ledo watched the newly-wed couple as they danced under the light of the gracious moon. Haru held his bride close, muttering something into her ear, and Melty laughed before hugging him closer. Glancing over at the remaining party, he saw Pinion talking to Bellows, somehow managing to make her blush, and Saaya was talking with the minister who happily married the newly-weds. Everyone was having a great time, except for Amy, who happened to be missing from the scene.

After she had yelled at him, Ledo was so stunned by her outburst it took him a few good minutes before he snapped out of it so he could go after her. However, Saaya stopped him before he could, suggesting that providing her with space instead of confronting her after such an explosion would do them both good. Ledo thought it better to go after his belligerent girlfriend and try to comfort her, but he supposed if he wanted to avoid her fiery wrath, giving her space would be the best course of action. So he stayed away, and he would continue to do so until Amy was ready to forgive him.

The first day was agony. After living together for so long, Ledo was so used to the warm solace that was Amy's presence that sleep was difficult to come by. To keep him from wallowing, Haru dragged Ledo around to find an impromptu minister. Pinion was stuck with Bellows to find flowers due to the excavator's insistence, so the groom decided it would be a good time to talk privately with his troubled colleague and friend.

"Don't take it too personally, Ledo. Your proposal just caught her off guard, is all."

"Perhaps I should've been more discreet."

"Yeah, the timing wasn't so great. But simply asking her to marry you won't cut it. When you propose, you have to do it in a way so she knows that you love her." The older boy patted him on the back fraternally. "Trust me. Amy will come through. I've never seen two souls bonded so closely together."

Ledo took Haru's advice to heart and compiled a mental list of ways he could make it up to Amy. He wasn't the type to be flashy, and Amy appreciated honesty more than anything else. Only she could understand why he was determined. Though most of his militant tenets were long forgotten, there were certain good qualities that Ledo made sure never to forget, and Amy reinforced those virtues; she made him a better man. He knew she deserved better, but if he could just have her by his side for the rest of his days, that'd be enough. He wanted nothing more than to prove that to her.

During the ceremony, as the couple were symbolically bound by the little red string, Ledo looked at Amy, hoping to catch her eye. Either was she was too caught up in the ceremony or deliberately avoiding him, but he would not quit. Now, he sat alone, wondering where she had wandered off to.

"Ledo." A sudden rush of relief ran through him hearing the soft, lovely voice he missed so much. Amy stood with a rueful smile on her face. "Can we talk?" He nodded and took her proffered hand, and the warmth she emitted rushed through him once more.

She led him up to the roof, one floor above where the covert reception was being held. They stopped as they faced the scenic view of the sea. Amy closed her eyes as a light breeze passed through, but Ledo's eyes couldn't look away from her. After a fleeting moment, she opened her eyes again, and he was alarmed to see that they were glistening with tears. "Amy—"

"I'm okay. It's just the wind." She wiped her eyes, but the tears didn't stop. "I feel like such an idiot. Yelling at you like that, it was uncalled for. I'm so sorry."

"There's no need for you to apologize. I'm sorry I asked so abruptly. It's just…" Suddenly, Ledo felt his confidence waver. Perhaps tonight wasn't the right time to do this. He could tell just by looking at her that even the thought of marriage was unnerving. He didn't want to force her into anything that made her uncomfortable, but he still wanted her to understand why it was important to him.

"In the Galactic Alliance, if one chooses to marry, they are assigned a spouse according to compatible traits based on a biological algorithm. It's made so once they copulate, the married couple would produce children with the most desired attributes of the standard Galactic soldier."

"So… you couldn't choose who you wanted to married?"

The former ensign shook his head. "I never thought much of it back in the Galactic Alliance. The constant threat of Hideauze discouraged it, not to mention if the time came, I did not want to confine myself in a frivolous relationship. I used to underappreciate the value of life and I caused so much strife. I've changed so much since then. I have so many people to thank for allowing me a second chance, so many people who I couldn't live without, but with you, it's different." He took her hands, squeezing them with tender affection. "You were the first person I saw when I woke up on this planet. You were the first one who reached out to me and taught me almost everything I know about Earth. I don't know where I would be if you hadn't been there every step of the way.

"This isn't a proposal, Amy. I don't want to force you into anything you don't want. But I want you to understand, no matter what anyone says or does, my feelings for you will never change. I love you, and I'll wait for as long as I have to to be yours forever…"

Ledo was caught off guard when Amy started crying again. He wasn't sure what he said wrong this time; he had followed Haru's advice and told her how he felt. He had no idea what to do! But then she flung herself at him and gave him a very passionate kiss. His face heated up so fast he was certain he resembled a tomato. When Amy pulled back, he found her smiling, realizing those were actually tears of joy.

"Yes."

"… W-What?"

Amy giggled and caressed his cheek. "These last two days have been agony without you. I guess I was scared because of how fast things were happening with Melty's wedding and all. It seemed like only yesterday we were just teenagers going on all these crazy adventures. But young or old, for better or for worse, I can't imagine another day being without you."

Ledo smiled and kissed her fervently, the red strings binding their fate closer and closer together.

* * *

 **Happy New Year!**

 **I bet you guys were all expecting some AmyxLedo babies! So far, I've only done drabbles within the year Ledo started working for Bellows. I thought it would be interesting to use one of their friends to frame our favorite couple's future. And I know we don't know much about Haru, but there'll be more of him to come as well as more adventures with the rest of the gang!**

 **Thank you to all of my new reviewers:**

 **JPMod  
RedJohn  
pitkat  
LockmanCapulet  
Purebred-Heart**

 **I really appreciated your feedback!**

 **Until next time, _R &R!_**


	10. Femme Fatale

**So, if any of you remember the temporary author's note I posted a week ago, forget about it. Two things came up:**

 **1) After I posted both versions of "Femme Fatale", someone told me to just flip a coin, and that's exactly what I did.**

 **2) The poll seemed like such a drastic measure considering how long it would've taken you guys to reach the alternative parts (I'm not even sure if any of you actually read my Author's Note). Besides, I think I like this one better, anyway. If anyone actually wants to read my alternate chapter, let me know (via private message) and maybe I'll turn it into a ONE-SHOT separate from this collection of drabbles. Maybe.**

 **Now enjoy!**

* * *

 **Verdurous Seas, Cerulean Skies**

 **Femme Fatale**

Amy was sick and tired of getting stuck in these sort of situations. Why was she _always_ the first one to be taken as a hostage? Sure she was small, but Melty wasn't much smaller than she was. Was it her outfit? She highly doubted that; granted her apparel was a little… _risqué_ , it was the norm of her demographic, so she didn't think she stood out too much. But for some reason, whenever there was some sort of crisis on Gargantia, she just always happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

 _When did it all go so wrong?_

To think she thought that today was supposed to be a regular day, but who was she kidding? She was dating a boy from outer space; nothing about her life was normal from the day they first met! But she couldn't blame him for that. After all, Ledo was still trying to move on from that aspect of his life, and as his girlfriend, she was more than willing to help.

But offering her assistance was what had gotten her in this mess in the first place…

 **~VSCS~**

"Why are you giving me your gun?" Amy handled the precarious weapon as she would any hazardous object. She never liked weapons, and she still wasn't used to being near them, let alone holding them. Months ago, there was a tiny part of her that was afraid something inside Ledo would trigger and he would revert to his old ways, much like the trigger on the very weapon she had in her hands. But she knew she didn't have to worry about that paranoid thought anymore.

Ledo seemed to think otherwise.

"It's just in case I'm not around."

"Ledo, I don't need a weapon."

"I know, but… I've been meaning to give it to you, anyway."

"Why…?" Amy looked up and finally noticed how stiff he had become. His fists were so tight they were trembling and his jaw clenched as if he were gritting his teeth in pain. "Ledo?"

"I know I've changed. You remind of that every day, but sometimes… I'm afraid that one day, I may turn back into the old Ledo, the one that instilled fear into the hearts of the people of Gargantia. I want to get rid of the temptation, and should I turn back into him…"

She stopped him before he could finish the rest of that deplorable thought. "Ledo don't ask me to do such a thing!" Dropping the gun, Amy wrapped her arms around his abdomen firmly and buried her face into his chest. "Please… if you're going to give me a weapon, don't ask me to use it on you. I could never…"

Ledo rested his head on top of Amy's and held her in his tenderly secure embrace. After two years he had actually grown quite a bit, and Amy was as small and delicate in his arms as she had been when he first took her as a hostage. He knew she would never use a weapon for as long as she lived, and the thought of using it on a person was just as horrible, but he couldn't take any chances. With things the way they were, especially after the incident with Reema and her mysterious Machine Caliber, he wanted to make sure that Amy could at least protect herself, in the event that he wasn't there to rescue her, or, God forbid, if he was the one she needed rescuing from.

"You don't have to use it," he relented. "I would never make you. It just makes me more comfortable knowing that you're armed, just in case anything happens and I'm not around."

"I won't use it. Ever. Especially not to kill anyone." After she removed herself from his embrace, she wiped her eyes, inadvertently glancing at the gun. With utmost caution, Amy picked the gun back up, biting her lip in contemplation. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll keep it somewhere safe, where no one can get to it, not even you." Despite the uncertainty in her voice, Amy put on a reassuring smile. If this would help Ledo, she'd do it, no matter how uncomfortable it made her.

Ledo seemed to sag in relief at this, literally. "That would make me feel better." He pulled her back against his chest, kissing the top of her head, and she leaned against him, relishing their intimacy.

"Yo, Ledo! Stop making out with your girlfriend and let's go!" With a groan, Amy pulled away from Ledo once more and glared down at the irritant that disrupted their moment, not at all surprised that it was Ledo's nosy coworker, Haru.

"We weren't making out! Mind your own business!"

The older boy shrugged indifferently. "Boss-lady is going to poach our asses if we're late. Now come on or I'm leaving without you!"

"I'll never understand why Melty has a crush on him."

Ledo chuckled. "He's not that bad." Giving her one last kiss, he slowly backed up to the stairs. "I'll see you later."

"Stay safe!" Amy cried as he ran off to work.

Speaking of which, she was going to be late too if she didn't hurry. However, the cold metal of Ledo's weapon reminded her of her current predicament. There was no way in hell her boss would be okay with her traveling around the fleet with this thing, not that she had any desire to keep it on her person. But she no other choice unless she wanted a dock in her salary for tardiness. After finding a safe compartment in her satchel, Amy went off to work.

Something felt off as soon as she arrived at the post office. Melty and Saaya weren't there. In fact, the whole area seemed like a ghost town. Spotting a fellow coworker running off towards the cargo hold, Amy stopped him, asking why the place was seemingly abandoned.

"A new ship just approached Gargantia!" he said. "Apparently they got separated from their fleet."

Amy wavered for a moment as she processed the news. Ever since Reema had betrayed them, she wasn't too eager to see any new visitors on their fleet. As much as she trusted Ridget's judgment, Amy had a roiling feeling in her gut about these strangers, and the last thing she wanted was to be put in the crossfire if this casual meeting turned into a nefarious farce. Again. And now Ledo and the other salvagers were long gone, so if anything were to happen…

"Amy!"

Amy nearly fell over as her rambunctious, strawberry blonde friend jumped on her back, and she was terribly relieved to have been driven away from her destructive train of thought. She didn't want to know how that sentence would've end. "Melty!"

"Did you see the visitors? They're so cute!"

"Haru might hear you, Melty," Saaya teased. "You might make him jealous."

"A little jealousy never hurt anybody," the younger girl replied coyly. "Anyway, I kind of feel bad for them. Getting separated from your fleet isn't fun. They could have starved to death if we hadn't come along."

"Good for them." Amy began to depart, not wanting to talk about these mysterious strangers anymore. "I'll see you guys later." If they were going to talk about this all day, then she'd rather lose a day's worth of pay than stick around.

Aside from the fact that she just absolutely couldn't be at work right now, there were a few errands she had to run. She and Bebel were running low on food and some of his clothes were getting a little snug. Plus the hustle and bustle of the marketplace really helped take her mind off of things she'd rather leave forgotten.

But the more she wandered the market, the closer she found her hand to the weapon she vowed never to use. As soon as her hand curled around the cool metal, she ripped her hand out of her bag as if it had burned her.

 _What's wrong with me? It's not like I'm going to run into those people. And even if I did, I can't just assume they're dangerous. Just because Reema…_

The thought of the former courier girl brought a darkness that was normally associated with bleak memories Amy suppressed into the back of her mind. When she had first joined them, Reema was such a shy, sweet girl. Amy had really liked her. It wasn't until she started asking Ledo for "favors" did she feel a smidgeon of suspicion in her gut. If it wasn't for that little blonde traitor, she was sure she wouldn't feel so paranoid about these newcomers. And as far as anyone else was concerned, they were harmless stragglers who were unfortunately separated from their original fleet. Besides, what were the chances that she would ever meet these newcomers anyway?

"Miss!"

Amy was abruptly pulled out of her thoughts once again when someone grabbed her shoulder. She jumped from the contact and stifled a scream when she saw it was just a boy. His tan face shone with sweat and his arm was stretched out as he was offering a piece of bruised fruit. Once he had caught his breath, he stood up. He was about the same height as Ledo, dwarfing her by about ten centimeters, and almost as robust. His viridian eyes were bright with a kindness and zeal that was akin to the kind of excitement Amy usually displayed whenever she saw something new. He must've been one of the strangers.

He smiled, contrarily shy to his initial approach. "Th-this fell out of your basket."

Amy eyed the tainted apple hesitantly before she took it from him. "Thanks…"

"I'm Connor. I'm not from around here, obviously. My brothers and I got lost and thankfully we found your ship before we ran out of food. They sent me to run errands while they talked with your commander…" Amy looked away as he rambled and tapped her finger on her bicep testily. She hadn't said anything to turn this impromptu meeting into a conversation, but with no intention to be rude, Amy stood impatiently as Connor continued his origin story. Why did it feel like the universe was out to get her? She'd never done anything wrong, and yet for some reason, her very presence seemed to draw unwanted attention and she no idea why. Sometimes she wished she and Melty could trade places; she was sure the strawberry blonde would appreciate the attention more.

Still oblivious to her discomfort, Connor turned his attention to the bag in her arms. "Do you need help?"

"N-Nope! No thank you! I'm fine—" As though proving her universe theory, the bags in her arms spontaneously tore open, spilling all the contents on the ground.

 _Why me?_

Connor immediately bent down to retrieve the scattering produce. Kneeling next to him to pick up the rest of her ruined groceries, Amy looked at Connor shyly. "Thanks, again."

"No problem! Hey, since you probably need to buy more food, you wouldn't mind if I accompanied you, would you? Since, you know, I'm not familiar with your fleet and you live here…" Connor scratched the back of his head timorously, and Amy couldn't help grinning.

"Sure, why not?" Her answer caused his grin to beam a little brighter, and all of a sudden he had her hand, jabbering on as they walked through the market.

The initial picture of the newcomers she had painted in her head was completely adverse to this sweet, openly generous boy. Once she was actually contributing to the conversation, Amy started to enjoy Connor's company. He was funny, charming, and a gentleman, taking her bags as they were filled bountifully with food items and even taking Bebel's newly tailored clothes. She felt so ashamed for assuming the worst in someone so considerate, and, as a pseudo-apology, offered to lead him back to the docks to find his brothers.

"Thanks for your help, Amy! Are you sure you don't want to stop by your home before taking me to the docks? I'm sure my brothers won't mind if I'm a little late."

"No, it's okay. You and your brothers probably want to go home as soon as possible. Besides, I don't live too far from here."

"Well that's good. I wish I could stay a little longer, though. Gargantia seems so nice compared to our old fleet…"

The melancholic tone that had suddenly replaced his exultant one worried Amy. It sounded like Connor didn't want to go home at all, and from the look of his equally despondent face, that seemed to be just the case. "You could… stay here."

"My brothers would never let me," he said solemnly, reconciling the absence of joy by playfully adding, "They'd miss me too much!"

Amy grinned emphatically. "I know what you mean. I don't think I'd leave Gargantia if I had a choice. Leaving Bebel, all my friends…" _Ledo._ "It's unfathomable. You and your brothers must be close then?"

"You could say that…"

Amy was about to ask him what that meant when someone called out, "Hey, Connor! The hell took you so long!"

On the docks stood two identical twins if she wasn't mistaken. They looked to be around Pinion's age, tall and broad and obviously handy with a wrench if they needed one. They were just as tan as Connor, and one of them even had the same viridian eyes. The resemblance among the brothers was so uncanny there was no denying that they were all related to each other.

"Sorry. I lost track of time," Connor apologized.

"I can see that." The twin whose eyes resembled the suddenly abashed young man meandered right over and stood in front of Amy, eying her in a fashion that also reminded her of Pinion whenever he looked at Bellows, sometimes Lukkage if she wasn't looking. "Who's your new friend?"

"I'm Amy." She reached out to shake his hand, but he pulled her hand up to his lips instead.

"What's a lovely thing like you doing with an idiot like Connor?"

"Hey!"

"Connor was helping me run errands. I didn't mean to hold him up for so long."

"No harm done! Right, Taro?" The other twin, whose eyes were a dark brown, sneered, and Amy nearly trembled under his severe gaze. She quickly looked away in fear of offending him from a mere glance. "I'm sorry if this guy caused you any trouble." Ken put his little brother in a headlock, much to the young man's chagrin. "He's helpless without someone telling him what to do."

"It was no trouble. I was happy to help." Amy took a moment to look at their ship. It looked similar to Bellows'. "Are you guys salvagers?"

"Something like that…" Ken's smile turned mischievous, but Amy was too rapt with the ship to notice.

"Really? What sort of things have you guys found?"

"You wanna see?"

Amy eyes lit up immediately. "Can I?"

Connor took advantage of this moment to escape his brother's harsh grasp and went back to stand next to Amy. "I'm sure Amy wants to get home as soon as possible. She does have to take all of this stuff home by herself, and we'd hate to have to hold you up, right Amy?"

"I have time."

"Yeah, Connor. Relax." The young man deflated a little as Ken led the excited young woman onto their ship.

Just as Amy predicted, the ship was almost an exact replica of the Bellows' excavation ship, except the bow was a little smaller and there weren't any hangars for Yunboros. She wondered if they even used them at all. Stern-faced Taro pulled up a giant rusty chest on deck. How he was able to lift that heavy thing by himself was beyond her, and she made a mental note not to piss him off by accident. "We found this baby on an abandoned freight a few days ago."

"Wow…" Amy's eyes scanned the ancient trunk hungrily as she thought of the thousands of mysterious things that had been locked away inside. This was how she always was whenever Ledo brought back something to show her and Bebel. And even though Bellows and her crew usually found the same trinkets, Ledo somehow managed to find something unique. It always reminded her how marvelous the world truly was.

Ken shrugged at her response, not seeming to share her enthusiasm. "It's not too special. More often than not we just find a bunch of keepsakes, but we finally found something worth selling."

"What is it?"

Taro opened it up slowly and Amy was practically bouncing in anticipation of seeing whatever treasure they had found. But once it had finally opened up, she was disappointed to see that it was empty. "There's nothing in here."

"You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" All of a sudden, a cloth was pressed over her mouth. Before the chemicals could render her useless, Amy elbowed her offender harshly in the gut. Unfortunately, Ken exhibited the same amount of strength his twin had demonstrated moments before, and it didn't take much effort for him to shove her into the chest as the dizzying effects of the chloroform slowly took over. She hadn't realized how big the rusted box was until she was in it, the alarms in her head ringing a little too late as she realized what was actually going on.

"Connor did a good job for once." Ken's sneer was identical to Taro's, his kind viridian now deviant. "She'll sell for a high price on the market." As the last traces of consciousness began to fade, Amy thought she heard someone calling her name and could only think of one other person it could be.

 _Ledo…_

 **~VSCS~**

And now here she was, being held captive on a rogue pirate ship awaiting the dreadful day she would be sold as someone's plaything. And of course the person who she had heard calling her name wasn't Ledo, though she wished he was here now more than ever. Once she had awoken, she found herself face-to-face with Connor, who had a very contrite look on his barred face.

"I can explain—"

"Don't bother!" Amy turned away from him, too disgusted to even look at his face.

 _I totally take back my take back! He's exactly what I thought he was! A no-good, dirty—!_

"I never meant to involve you. I didn't want you to come to the ship, but you insisted…"

"So it's _my_ fault I got kidnapped?" Now that she had said it aloud, it _did_ sound like she should've known better considering her string of bad luck, but she had never been kidnapped before (aside from Ledo, of course). She thought worrying about the strangers had made her paranoid, but perhaps it was just her natural instincts telling her to beware of these slave-peddling monsters. Either way, it had done her no good in the end.

"Amy, I don't know what else to say to make this all up to you, but…" He brought up a familiar brown bag and the young woman immediately shot up from her place on the floor to retrieve it. As she began perusing the contents to make sure everything was as it was, the young man sat down and watched, slightly amused but mostly chagrined. "I'm sorry, Amy. I really am. I don't know what else to say or do to make you believe how much I regret what's happened."

Her hand landed on a familiar item when he paused, and as much as hated his guts right now, Amy chanced a glance and was put back by the glossiness in his eyes and the quivery tautness of his jaw as he used all of his willpower not to cry. The remorse on his face couldn't have been more obvious, and he couldn't have looked any more ashamed or submissive. This was not the happy-go-lucky young man she had ran into at the marketplace. Connor might have failed to mention a few things about him and his brothers, but he hadn't lied about anything he told her, not even when he was just joking around. The way he was acting earlier as they were approaching the docks suddenly made a lot of sense…

" _I wish I could stay a little longer, though. Gargantia seems so nice compared to our old fleet…"_

" _You could… stay here."_

" _My brothers would never let me…"_

"You guys didn't really get separated from your fleet, did you?"

Connor scratched his cheek guiltily. "Actually, we were a bit turned around, but we've had this ship for a long time. Once we started running low on food, we couldn't afford to feed our other captives, so it wasn't long before they…" Amy felt sick. Those poor girls. Even Connor couldn't stomach finishing his sentence.

He shifted so he was leaning back on the opposite wall to Amy's cell, his head lulled back tiredly. "Before this all started, we were dirt poor. Ken somehow convinced us that leaving our fleet was the only way we could survive. So I went along with it. I was just a dumb thirteen-year-old back then, so I didn't know any better. It wasn't until we came upon another fleet I find out what we were really doing. Turns out there's a whole fleet full of people just waiting to be sold, some by choice, others… mostly end up in your situation, probably by worse means…"

Amy couldn't help shuttering, thinking of all those poor girls who were forced upon this ship, in more ways than one… "If you know it's wrong, why do you stay?"

"Ken and Taro never give me more money than I need to provide for all of us; I think they suspect I'm going to run off one day, but I couldn't even if I wanted to. They tell me I'm only good for my looks, anyway. That's why they always send my off into the fleet to 'socialize' and observe potential… you know. I know it's terrible, but I don't know what else to do. I'm not good for much else. And besides, when I'm not trying to lure women onto our ship, I like talking to people, learning about their lives and what they do. It almost makes me feel like I can be more than… this."

A droplet fell her palm, and before she knew it Amy was crying. She quickly wiped the impending tears away; crying wasn't going to get her out of here. She couldn't wait for someone to rescue her, either. Not this time.

"I know how you can make it up to me, Connor." Amy looked him straight in the eye, a fierce, a take charge look steeling over her features. "Get me out of here, and I'll take you back to Gargantia."

Connor stared at the her in disbelief. "But Amy… I…"

"I know it's scary, and I know you don't believe that there isn't anything else for you, but I also know you've wanted to leave this place for a while, haven't you?"

"Of course, but my brothers… they're the only family I have."

"Family doesn't treat each other like they treat you!" she scorned him, much like a mother scolded their child, and he winced to the same effect. "At Gargantia, _everyone's_ family." Amy could tell from his skeptic face that it still wasn't enough to convince him to perform mutiny. She took on a softer approach. "I know you're much more than a pretty face, Connor. You're strong; it'll be easy for you to find a job. You can find something you'll enjoy, and you can be surrounded by people who will actually care about you. And I promise I'll help you. But you have to help me first."

She knew she had him when she saw the hardened resolve in his soft emerald eyes. "Okay, but I don't know how I'm going to get the key without them suspecting anything."

"No need." Whipping out Ledo's gun, Amy aimed carefully at the lock. Connor hit the deck as soon as he saw the weapon, and the door exploded as a result of the powerful blast.

 _So much for never using it, Amy. You hypocrite. Well, at least it's good for something besides, you know, the obvious…_

He rubbed the back of his head and whistled at the damage. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

Amy blushed and put the gun away. "We need to get out of here. That was way too loud for them to not have heard it."

"Knowing Ken, he most likely sent Taro down here. I know how we can get to the control station without running into him."

So Amy followed Connor as he led her through a labyrinth of corridors that eventually up to the control station. It was almost too easy how they were able to make it back up to the surface without running into Connor's brothers, and she knew she just jinxed their luck by thinking it.

 _You're just a glutton for punishment, aren't you, Amy?_

"I'm disappointed in you, Connor." Ken turned away from the controls to face his brother and their most recent captive. "Though I can't say I'm surprised. I knew sooner or later you would betray us. In an ironic way, this work has made you soft." Taro suddenly had her by the hair, but as Connor went to help her, Amy shook her head. Now that they were all stuck in the same room, it gave her an idea, and she needed Connor keep Ken's attention elsewhere in order for them to get out of this in one piece.

"We can't do this anymore, Ken! It's sick and wrong!"

"It's not your call, little brother." Amy spotted the wrench in Ken's hand, and she knew he had every intention of using it. "What, you think since you suddenly gained a change of heart, you can just turn your backs on us and run off with your new girlfriend? After all we've done for you?"

"You mean after you used me as your meat puppet?"

Ken scoffed. "Oh please. Don't pretend you didn't enjoy it. Besides, it's not like you're guiltless. You might not have done any of the heavy lifting, but your hands are just as dirty. You really think they're going to accept you with open arms after they find out that you've been helping us for so long?"

Amy saw Connor falter and for a moment she was afraid he would back out. The hardened resolve in his voice told her otherwise. "Maybe not, but I'm willing to take that chance." All of a sudden, Connor dived for the wrench and got a good grip on it before Kent wretched it out of his grasp. The older brother didn't even realize that he was set up right next to his twin until it was too late. "Now, Amy!"

On cue, Amy aimed for the steam pipe above their head, jabbed Taro in the abdomen once he was caught off guard, and kicked him down the stairs. As steam began to fill up the room, she lost track of Connor. A hand reached out and grabbed her wrist, but the hard callouses told her that it was definitely not Connor. "Where do you think you're going, little girl?" She panicked. The only thing that could possibly save her was Ledo's gun, but she swore not to use it on another human being. However, as she stared into the manic eyes of this deviant, she didn't think she had any other choice.

 _I'm so sorry, Ledo…_

 _THWACK!_

Amy backed away as Ken's body hit the ground, Connor standing over him, flustered and glowing with self-satisfaction. In a moment of revelation, her shaky hands dropped the gun and she hugged him. She couldn't have been more grateful to see him with that wrench at that moment. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time."

Looking up at him, Amy couldn't stop her tears, but she shared the same victorious smile. "Let's go home."

 **~VSCS~**

Ledo never thought he'd be as anxious to go back home as he was now.

A few hours after he and the rest of the salvagers left Gargantia, they had run into a new fleet. He had just resurfaced with his Yunboro when Bellows introduced him to one of the captains. He was a man a few decades older than Bellows, and though they had never actually met, he was very familiar with the legendary man from space. But he hadn't come aboard just to meet the renowned spaceman.

"Some of the women on our fleet have gone missing," he told them, "one of them being my daughter. Before they disappeared we found a ship supposedly separated from its own fleet. They left shortly after the women disappeared."

"You think this ship is taking women," Bellows surmised. The commander nodded affirmatively. "Damn. A slave ship."

"Slave ship?" Ledo echoed curiously.

"A ship controlled by pirates. They kidnap women and children and sell them on illegal brigand fleets." Bellows thanked the captain for warning them before commanding her ship to turn back to Gargantia. From what the captain told them that slave ship wasn't too far from their own fleet, so the lead salvager thought it best to go home in case they were already there.

The first pirates Ledo had ever met were Lukkage and her crew, but they had reformed after they disbanded Kugel's cult. He never thought he'd run into more of them, not to mention that they went around tricking other fleets, hiding in plain sight, abducting innocent civilians… It made him sick.

And the more he mulled over it, the more he thought about the discussion he had with Amy earlier that day. Whenever troubled brewed, she was always there, caught in the crosshairs. Now he wasn't there to help, and if something were to happen…

 _That's why you gave her your gun, for situations just like this one._

But that thought didn't make him worry any less.

As soon as they were on the docks, they were approached by Pinion and the rest of their friends, and from the distraught looks on their face, they had come too late. As far as he could tell, no one was missing. The girls had been at work all day, and according to Saaya, Bebel was still with Dr. Oldham. Even Ridget, Joe and his crew were there. The only one who seemed to be missing was…

 _No…_

"Amy skipped work to run errands," Saaya said.

"We had no idea she would run into one of them," Melty insisted. "If we did, we never would have left her alone."

Ledo didn't waste any more time with frivolous thoughts of regret and hypotheticals as he raced back onto Bellows' ship to mount his Yunboro. His boss had him by the ankle before he could take another step. "Let go of me!"

"Pull your head out of your ass, Ledo! Running off and swimming about aimlessly isn't going to help Amy. You don't even know where they went."

"I can't just do nothing!"

"Hey, I think I spotted them!"

At Pinion's hopeful outburst, Bellows and Ledo ran back to the dock, the latter immediately snatching the engineer's telescope out of his hands. He sought out the direction where Pinion was looking and spotted the same ship he assumed the blonde had seen.

"Well, at least they're making my job easier," Ridget sighed out.

"But why would they come back?" Bellows wondered.

As the ship came closer, Ledo was finally able to make out two figures. One of them was male, most likely one of the pirates who took his girlfriend. But the other was smaller, more feminine and scantily familiar. As they moved closer still, he was finally able to discern who the other figure was. "It's Amy!"

As soon as the ship was docked, the former ensign jumped on deck and enveloped the brunette in his arms before he began examining her body for any injuries.

"I'm okay, Ledo. I couldn't have escaped without Connor's help."

Ledo looked over Amy's head to see the young man who had driven the ship by her side. He smiled and waved sheepishly, a contrite look on his face. Ledo glared at him, and the other boy quickly looked away, not wanting to provoke the intimidating boy.

Meanwhile, Amy was literally sagging in Ledo's arms, tired and at ease. It wasn't long until the rest of the gang joined them, Melty and Saaya enveloping her just as her boyfriend did a moment ago. Ridget approached Connor, who humbly confessed his crimes and pointed them to the cell where they put his brothers. While he had helped Amy escape, it didn't change the fact that he had a hand in helping his brother's slave trade practice. But thanks to Amy's sanction and seeing how contrite he was, Ridget had mercy on him and sentenced him to work in the cargo bay with Joe and his crew. Amy didn't think his smile could have gotten much brighter than it had that day.

After such an exhausting endeavor, Amy wanted nothing more than to go home, so after finding all the things that were left behind when she was abducted and saying goodbye to Connor and her friends, Ledo took her home. Bebel wouldn't be back for a while; no doubt he had heard about what happened. There was still so much for her to do, but due to the insistence of her worrisome boyfriend, Amy went to take a nap instead, silently relieved that Ledo had offered to make dinner before her little brother came home.

Setting her satchel aside, Amy handled Ledo's gun with much more confidence than she had when he first gave it to her. In a way, she owed her life to this weapon and she didn't even have to hurt anyone with it. But when Ken had her by the wrist, she had thought about using it on him, which made her even more grateful that Connor had intervened.

 _But what if he hadn't? I might have actually… shot him…_

 _Yeah, but it was in self-defense._

 _But does that make it any better? You almost broke your promise to Ledo…_

 _That's why he gave you a gun in the first place!_

 _SHUT UP!_

Amy locked the gun away as well as the dark, conflicting thoughts that came with it. As a result, the adrenaline of the day finally wore off. Her body wanted nothing more than to collapse and she loathed to deny it the privilege of sleep after such an exhausting day. But even as her head hit the pillow and she slowly drifted into a blissful slumber, she knew this wasn't the end of her conundrum.

 _But that's a problem for another day…_

* * *

 _ **R &R!**_


	11. Rehab

**A/N: SORRY! Most of you know why.**

 **A/N: I just wanted to remind anyone who's confused that these stories are not in chronological order. These are _random_ ONE-SHOTS.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Verdurous Seas, Cerulean Skies**

 **Rehab**

The first step is always the hardest. That was what he told himself after he finally pushed himself from his stationary position. But as he prepared to take his next step, he didn't think this process was going to be any easier, or any less painful. He took a deep breath as he lifted his foot, grimacing slightly as his other leg took off most of the pressure, and made his way forward. By the third step, he was thoroughly exhausted. His arms could only support him for so long.

"I think you've made enough progress for today, Bebel."

With a breath of relief, the young man gladly took a seat in the chair provided by Dr. Oldham as well as the glass of water offered by his granddaughter. After taking a few large sips, Bebel beamed brightly at the doctor. "That was even better than yesterday!"

"Yes, it was," Dr. Oldham confirmed. "You were able to take two more steps. That is incredible considering you've only been at this for three days. Well done, Bebel."

"Yay, Bebel!"

Bebel smiled proudly at his own success and blushed as the little girl continued to praise him.

Diagnosed with a critical illness at a very young age, Bebel was born to a cruel fate. His compromised immune system didn't allow him to do any strenuous activities, not even something as rudimentary as climbing stairs, rendering his legs lame. After spending almost an entire lifetime bedridden, no one thought he would be able to walk again. And because of this, he formed very little friendships with people his own age and spent most of his time indoors, with the exceptions of planned get-togethers and seasonal barbecues with Amy and her friends. Due to his medical history, Bebel spent most of his time with Dr. Oldham, browsing through his medical archives and other cursory literature that distracted him from his endless stationary.

But he didn't let it bring him down. Despite his ill-determined fate, Bebel was a ray of sunshine in many people's lives. His glass-half-full attitude brightened up many desolate souls and his light-hearted nature kept the clouds away. Many thought his unfortunate circumstances were what made him so humble, but few of those people knew that was just the way Bebel was. Even if he was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life, Bebel would remain the prodigal optimist Gargantia knew and loved.

One day, a miracle happened in the form of an annual diagnostic scan. Bebel's condition was not as permanent as everyone suspected it to be. From the results of the scan, Dr. Oldham observed that the young boy's immune system had improved gradually over the years, and according to this recent development the astute doctor surmised that Bebel was now strong enough to begin the rehabilitation process and start walking again. Three days into rehab and Bebel felt he could walk a mile (although he felt as if he had already run that mile ten times, according the burning sensation in his legs).

"How soon do you think I can start walking around the fleet on my own?" he asked the doctor ardently.

Dr. Oldham couldn't help sharing his eagerness and chuckled. "Let's not get carried away, Bebel. You've only started walking two days ago. Normally it takes months for people with muscular atrophy to fully regain motor function after being inert for so long. Your legs may take years to recover from so many years of disuse, and there may also be lasting effects. But you're one of the most ambitious people I've ever known. I'm sure you'll be on your feet within the year." He took a moment to look through Bebel's medical file. "However, your legs still need to adjust to your weight, so there's no need to rush your progress. You're doing great, Bebel."

"Thanks, doctor." Bebel carefully pulled himself into his wheelchair.

"Are you sure you don't want to do your rehabilitation at home?"

"No, it's okay. It's good exercise for my arms. My hope is that I'll be able to walk all the way to your office."

"One day, Bebel. Until then, I'll see you tomorrow." The good doctor and his granddaughter waved him out.

Once outside, Bebel was happy to see Ledo waiting patiently to help him down the stairs. "Hello, Bebel."

"Hey, Ledo!"

After they descended the stairs, they solicited a conversation about their day, with Bebel leaving out the part about his rehab. Three days in and he hadn't gotten around to telling Ledo or Amy. As much as he wanted to tell them, something inside Bebel told him to hold off that conversation for another day.

 _I'll tell them after a week._

Once they arrived home, Ledo helped him up to his and Amy's apartment. His sister wasn't home yet, so the excavator took this opportunity to continue his story until she got home from work.

A half hour later, Amy entered their humble abode carrying bags filled with groceries. Ledo immediately got up to welcome her home with a chaste kiss and take some of the bags out of her hands. Bebel rolled over to the table and helped set aside food that needed to be put away and food that was already prepared for consumption. Once they were finished, the three sat together to enjoy a hearty meal, each person taking turns recounting how they spent their day. After dinner, Amy and Ledo took it upon themselves to put away the dishes, allowing Bebel to retire to his bed and read one of his newest novels. Unfortunately, the young boy was having a hard time concentrating on the text in front of him due to the shenanigans of the two older teens behind the paper-thin sheet that separated the "kitchen" from his "bedroom":

"Ledo, can you hand me that plate?"

"Sure."

A giggle.

"L-Ledo, that tickles!"

"Don't be so loud, Amy. Bebel can hear us."

"You jerk! You're the one making me laugh!"

"It's not my fault you're so ticklish."

A gasp.

"Amy, w-what are you doing?"

"Payback. Come here."

Deep breaths and the shifting of fabric.

"M-Maybe we should… continue this… at your place."

"Agreed."

The creak of the front of door, opening and shutting.

Finally, Amy's head poked around the delicate sheet, her face flushed, and Bebel was not so naïve as to believe it was just from doing dishes. "Hey, Bebel. I'm going to go over Ledo's for a bit. Do you mind?"

Bebel merely smiled at his older sister as if he hadn't heard any of their antics like some sort of unintentional voyeur. "Not at all. I was going to go to bed after I read this chapter, anyway."

"Just holler if you need anything!"

"Sure thing. Goodnight, Sis."

"Goodnight, baby brother!"

And with that, Bebel was alone.

Unfortunately, after Amy's departure, he couldn't concentrate long enough to get through the next sentence, so he simply put the book away, turned off the light, and lied back in his bed with his hands folded over his chest.

Bebel's rehab made him think about things that he didn't think about too often, like how inconvenient his disability was for the people around him. One of the drawbacks of being confined to a wheelchair on a fleet your whole life was that certain places weren't wheelchair accessible, and Bebel needed someone to assist him whenever he left home and back. Dr. Oldham usually accompanied him on these trips, sometimes Amy whenever she didn't have to work. Now that Ledo lived closer to them, he volunteered for these trips the most. Even though they didn't seem bothered by it, the last thing Bebel wanted was to be a hindrance.

Of course everyone assumed he'd live with Amy, even long into their adult years, but now that she and Ledo were together, that was much less likely. Two years into their relationship, the couple was starting to become more intimate. Sometimes they could get carried away, even while Bebel was around, but they were conscious enough of his presence to know that they should continue… _philandering_ elsewhere. It wouldn't be long until they decided to move in together, and there wasn't enough room in their apartment for three people to cohabit.

Now that he was recovering, this provided opportunities for the three of them. Ledo moving in was definitely out of the picture, so unless Bebel moved out Amy would have to move in with Ledo. Ledo's apartment was just a few steps below theirs. It was closer to the ground, a much more appropriate place for Bebel to live, but living on the ground floor was definitely a more ideal situation for him. But he couldn't bring himself to mention this to either of them, just as he couldn't bring himself to mention rehab for the past two days.

During dinner, as he told them about what he covered in his anthropology class today, he couldn't help thinking about his secret and when he should bring it up. It wasn't like it was a bad secret, and yet whenever there was an opportunity to tell them, a sudden sensation of diffidence came over him and prevented him from saying anything, and he didn't know why.

Rehab opened up many opportunities for Bebel he never thought he'd ever have, and instead of one future he saw several probabilities in store. He wouldn't need someone to help him across the fleet or even to simply walk up the stairs. He could go outside wherever he wanted. There would still be a few limitations, but nothing he couldn't live without. Him being able to walk again was a miracle in itself… so why couldn't he just tell anyone about it? Where had his pride gone when he took three steps on his own for the first time in how many years? Why couldn't he share his accomplishment with the people he cared about? And why did he feel that telling them was worse than hiding it from them?

As the night slowly transitioned into dawn, Bebel found himself wide awake and filled with even more distraught questions about his future.

 **~VSCS~**

The days slowly turned into weeks as Bebel was steadily getting used to moving on his legs again. He began using the wall for support less and less, and the throbbing in his calves was also becoming more bearable.

"You did well today, Bebel," said the doctor. "You can rest now."

Bebel was still panting from exertion and his legs were shaking from such a tremendous effort. "I'm… not tired… yet."

Dr. Oldham looked up from his file. "Bebel…"

"I think I… can make it back… to my chair…" He had to put more weight on his right leg because the left one was becoming stiff, making it harder for him to stand let alone walk back to his wheelchair by himself.

"Bebel, you shouldn't strain yourself. You're making great progress. You lasted ten minutes longer than you did last week. You need to rest, otherwise…"

Bebel felt Dr. Oldham's granddaughter take his hand, a worried look on her innocent face. Despite his fatigue, he managed a smile for her and allowed her to help him into his wheelchair. He thanked her again for the glass of water she fervently offered him, downing it all in a few long gulps. He knew the doctor was right; if he got carried away, he might worsen his condition. But he had suddenly become too motivated to stop.

He never realized how independent he wanted to be now that he knew he could walk again. For years Bebel had always relied on his family to help him. And then when it was just him and Amy, they had friends looking out for them as well as the good doctor. Now he was thirteen, the same age Amy was when she began raising Bebel on her own. He knew how to take care of himself when she was away; he was certain living by himself wouldn't be much different. And now that he could walk he could learn how to do all the things he couldn't help Amy with around their home.

But there were still a few reasons why couldn't tell Amy and Ledo. For one thing, he wasn't sure how Amy would react. She would definitely be more comfortable living with her boyfriend, but after all those years living together, with and without their parents, Amy had a routine, and she didn't like it when people close to her made these decisions without her consent; she cried for days after Melty and Ledo left to join that cult fleet (granted, they didn't know it was a cult at the time). Ledo was a completely different story. There were many things he knew he could trust the former ensign with, but secrets weren't one of them. Ledo loved Amy too much to hide anything from her; he would sooner get eaten by a whalesquid than lie by omission.

Weeks had gone by and his secret was still airtight. While his bones still ached and his limbs felt limp, his rehabilitation was gradually making him stronger. And while Ledo and Amy continued their nighttime activities, Bebel would continue stretching his legs, moving around the apartment and acclimating to the further reaches of places he originally had no access to. Once he had thoroughly exhausted himself, he collapsed onto his bed, and Amy would come back up the next day to find him asleep in some weird position on his bed. He woke up to achier limbs, but no regrets.

Now he had hit his ten-week mark and his progress, as Dr. Oldham had mentioned earlier, was exceptional. Perhaps practicing further at home attributed to this headway, but he also needed to remind himself to take a break every once and a while.

"How often do you walk around at home, Bebel?"

The young man was caught by surprise by the doctor's question. He hadn't even told him that he was practicing outside of their sessions. "How'd you know?"

"You are more tired than usual, not to mention your heartrate has increased drastically." Oldham pointed to the heart monitor that was still connected to Bebel's chest. "If I didn't know any better, I would think that you were trying to expedite your progress."

Bebel looked away bashfully, wondering how he was going to explain his current predicament. "I… I haven't told Amy about any of this. Or Ledo." The good doctor raised his eyebrows curiously but said nothing, allowing him to continue. "They've been together for two years now, and sooner or later they're going to want to live together. I just want to be prepared for that day when it comes."

"I see…" Dr. Oldham cupped a hand up his chin, lightly tapping his finger against his cheek. "Listen, Bebel. I don't disapprove of your exercises at home; if anything, I encourage it. I know we can't meet every day, with your classes and my other patients, so stretching your legs whenever can is very important so your legs can readjust to regular activity. But I don't want you to get carried away, so I think it would be best if both Amy and Ledo know, for your own safety."

Bebel sighed, knowing he was right. He had no excuse not to tell them, but still…

By the time he left the office, Ledo was once again outside waiting for him, but this time Bebel didn't have it in him to even offer a remotely genuine smile. Noticing this as well as the sheen of sweat coating his face, Ledo frowned in concern. "Are you okay, Bebel?" he asked after he carried him down the stairs.

"Of course I am. I'm just… ready to go home."

Ledo was about to ask a follow-up question, but Bebel was already well on his way in the direction of home, not bothering to wait for the older boy.

Meanwhile, Ledo just looked at him, taking note of his not-so-thin arms and even less so pallid complexion. He had no idea what was going on, but he had a feeling that it wasn't something that he could simply ask about.

During his first physical, Dr. Oldham had told him about doctor-patient confidentiality; whatever happened during their appointments was private, and nothing Ledo wanted to share with anyone outside the office would be disclosed unless he said otherwise. He knew the same applied to all of Dr. Oldham's patients, including Bebel, and though Ledo was still worried, he was positive Bebel would tell him if something was wrong. He didn't think it was anything serious, but it was still disconcerting to see him perspire so much. Ledo supposed being stuck in that stuffy office would make anyone sweat profusely, but Bebel seemed too exhausted to have just been sitting in an office all day.

What exactly was he doing with Dr. Oldham?

Looking up, Ledo noticed that the doctor's granddaughter was watching them from the stairs, her troubled gaze set particularly on the tired-looking young man rolling away. Catching his eye, an amiable smile quickly replaced the frown that occupied her and she waved at him before going back into her grandfather's office. He thought about asking her, but he was certain that the doctor-patient confidentiality rule applied to her as well.

Ledo turned away to follow Bebel, further contemplating other possible reasons for Bebel's strange behavior.

 **~VSCS~**

The faithful day had finally come when Bebel's secret was revealed. Unfortunately, it had not been a planned occasion.

That day, Bebel had gotten up to find a note on the nightstand beside his bed. He rolled over and picked up the note to read:

 _Bebel,_

 _Sorry I didn't wake you. You looked exhausted and I wanted to make sure you got enough sleep. Breakfast is on the stove. Have a great day!_

 _Amy_

Bebel smiled, putting the note aside. He began reaching for his wheelchair when he thought better of it. Amy wouldn't be home for hours, he didn't have class today, and he didn't have to see Dr. Oldham for another two days. Unless one of his friends or students decided to stop by, this was a golden opportunity to really test his legs and see how much he'd fair without Amy or anyone else around to help him go through the motions.

Scooching to the edge of the bed, Bebel braced himself before slowly standing up, resting his hand against the wall just in case. He stood on shaky legs, but after a few seconds they grew steady and he took a wobbly step forward, ironically with the help of his wheelchair. When he was confident to walk on his own, he pushed the wheelchair towards Amy's bed and began preparing his breakfast. After three months of practice, Bebel began timing how long his legs could hold out before he needed a break. His left leg was still a little stiff, so he was only able to stand at least three hours alone. He was determined to beat that record.

It took him about five minutes to prepare breakfast and five more to clean his plate. Once he was done with breakfast, he walked around the room for a bit, mulling over what to do next. He decided to try cleaning parts of the apartment he now had access to. He mostly did things that didn't require him to get on his knees; he was afraid if he got on the ground he wouldn't be able to get back up. So he swept the floor and wiped every surface he could reach that had dust. Afterwards, he drew a bath, careful of his stiff leg. By the time he was done, it was well after three hours. His stiff leg made it difficult to get out of the tub, but he still managed to stay on his feet well past the three-hour limit.

Bebel felt pretty good. His left leg still made walking a bit of a challenge, but he didn't feel the usual achiness or spasms he felt whenever he was on his feet for too long. Finally, after suffering years of muscular atrophy, and weeks and weeks and _weeks_ recirculating the lame muscles in his limbs, the agonized struggle of recuperation had finally come to fruition. It wouldn't be long until Dr. Oldham set him up with a cane, and then he would be on his feet for good. He never felt prouder than at this moment…

Until he saw a familiar yet unwelcome face in his kitchen.

"L-Ledo!"

The older boy stood with a completely astonished expression on his face, mouth agape like a fish. "Bebel… you're walking."

All of a sudden, the confidence that kept him on his feet fled him and his stiff leg gave out. With quick reflexes, Ledo caught him. He put Bebel's arm around his neck, helping him limp to his bed. He sat across from him on a stool and his hands folded in front of his mouth as he contemplated what to say after witnessing what he and many others on the fleet would consider a miracle. Bebel could practically see the gears turning in his head, his blinking mauve eyes sweeping over him as if he were a stranger. The silence was killing him.

 _Say something, Ledo._

"I didn't realize… _this_ was what you were up to."

"What'd you think I was doing?" Bebel replied a harsher than he'd meant it to be. "Sorry. I didn't expect to see you here so early. Don't you have to work late today?"

"Dr. Oldham's granddaughter asked me to come here and check on you. Bellows was very understandable when I explained to her about your… _strange behavior_ , as of late. We've all been worried about you, Bebel. Amy and I didn't say anything at first because we knew you'd tell us if it was dire." Ledo's eyes continued to move up and down, absorbing the physical changes that developed during the past three mysterious months of Bebel's rehabilitation. He was silent awed by these changes. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I… don't know. I mean, I knew I was going to tell you, I just didn't know when. I was worried about how Amy might react."

"I'm sure Amy will be very happy to see that you are recovering from the illness that has left you bedridden most of your life."

"That's not what I mean!" Ledo nearly jumped out of his skin when he yelled again. Bebel rarely yelled at anyone; doing it twice in one day—and at _Ledo_ of all people—was bizarre.

Embarrassed by his outburst, the younger boy looked away, fisting his bedsheets, struggling to conjure the words to express maelstrom of emotions he felt these past couple of months. "… I remember when you and Melty and about half of our fleet left when Ridget became the commander. Melty is one of Amy's best friends, and at that point so were you. It broke her heart when you two left.

"You two are a couple now, and I know how much you enjoy your privacy…" Ledo blushed as he thought of all the times he and Amy got carried away around Bebel, and he rubbed his neck as if that could dispel the embarrassment. "Now that I can walk, I can live on my own…"

"And you think Amy won't allow it. Is that why you haven't told us about your therapy sessions with Dr. Oldham?"

When Bebel looked up, Ledo was surprised to see an emotion so alien in the eyes of his angel-faced friend: shame. "I felt guilty—I _still_ feel guilty, because that's _exactly_ what I want! People have been taking care of me my whole life, and now I've been given a chance to be like everybody else and not confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life! I was proud that I could finally do all the things Amy's been doing for me ever since I got this disease, and I was relieved that I would no longer have to be a nuisance to the people I care about! And now I feel guilty because soon I won't need Amy, and saying so makes me feel like the worst brother ever!"

Bebel hadn't even realized he was crying until he felt little salty droplets fall on his hands. As he tried wiping his tears away, more seemed to fall at a faster rate. Finally, the dam of guilt that had been building up over the past three months finally broke, and Bebel wept. Suddenly, he felt a pair of strong, warm arms envelope him, his broken sobs muffled as his face was pressed into the older boy's chest.

Ledo rubbed his back as he continued to sob relentlessly. It pained him to see Bebel so tortured over something that was supposed to be a blessing, and he felt even worse knowing he was a part of his heartache. It wasn't long ago that he felt the same emotional turmoil Bebel was feeling at the moment. The guilt Ledo felt over the Hideauze massacres physically crippled him into a manic state. If it hadn't been for Bebel, he probably would have resorted to drastic measures to rid himself of that emotional torture. For a long time, it was Bebel who provided counsel for his woes, becoming the little brother he had lost ages ago. Now it was his turn to act as the older brother Bebel needed.

Gently pulling away, Ledo smiled humbly at the sniffling boy and wiped away the lingering tears. He wrapped an arm around him, allowing Bebel to rest his head against his shoulder. "Bebel, I think you're being hard on yourself."

"Y-You don't think I-I'm… selfish?"

Ledo chuckled softly at the absurd question coming out of that delicate, little voice. "Bebel, you're the least selfish person I know. You don't ask for much from others, but you are willing to lend a hand to anyone who asks for it. Wanting to be independent is normal, especially in your situation, and Amy won't think any less of you for it. It may take her a while to adjust to the idea of letting you live by yourself, but I'm sure once you explain what you've been doing with Dr. Oldham she'll consider it."

Bebel wiped his nose and sniffed, smiling just a little bit. "Thanks, Ledo. I'm glad you understand."

Ledo embraced him once more. "I will always be there for you, Bebel."

"I know." When they pulled away from each, Bebel held a very jovial smile on his face. "I couldn't ask for a better older brother."

Ledo spent the rest of the day with Bebel until Amy came home, ruminating possible living arrangements that would make all three of them most comfortable. Later on they began preparing dinner, and that was where Amy found them when she stepped foot into the apartment, her face frozen in pure astonishment. "B-Bebel…?"

He shared a glance with Ledo, and the older boy nodded at him assuredly, dispelling any doubt he still had. Walking up to his stunned sister, he took her hands in his, smiling brightly. "Hey, Sis. We have a lot to talk about."

* * *

 **It took a really long time for me to write this one. I was working on another drabble while doing so, but I wanted to publish this one first. There's only one other story that has Bebel as a main character but it's centered around Ledo, so I wanted to do one that was solely centered around Bebel and his condition. Not much is said about his illness, just that it renders him in a wheelchair and he can occasionally go outside, but he can't be in the sun long. I assumed that it was something that compromised his immune system (I know basically zilch about this stuff). I love Bebel, he is such a saint, and I didn't want him to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. I wanted to express the dynamics of his health and his feelings toward his condition as well as add that brotherly element between him and Ledo. Even people as positive as Bebel need a shoulder to cry on every once and a while. :)**

 **Oh, and I wanted to thank everyone who's stuck with me this long. I know how troublesome it is to wait for a story you're especially fond of to update, and your patience is much appreciated.**

 _ **R &R!**_


	12. First Date

**A/N: SORRY! I've been so busy lately with school, then I went to Orlando but I didn't bring my laptop...**

 **Anyway! Enjoy this because it may be the last (at least for another few months)...**

* * *

 **Verdurous Seas, Cerulean Skies**

 **First Date**

" _A-CHOO!_ "

"Whoa, Ledo. You okay? That's, like, the tenth time you've sneezed in the last hour. You're not catching something, are you?"

Ledo sniffled and rubbed his nose before continuing his task. The oil from the old Yunboro parts was rank, but the odor had little to do with his misty eyes and burning nose.

Gargantia was currently above the remains of a sunken cargo ship that the excavation team had looted several times in the past. Bellows called it the "bottomless treasure trove" because every time they came upon the wreckage, her team always managed to find some interesting treasure (and when Bellows said interesting, she really meant expensive). However, as the ship was still in the process of slowly decaying, it was considered too dangerous for new recruits, including Haru, despite more experience than Ledo, but neither complained as this provided them a very rare opportunity: a week of freedom. But unfortunately, that also meant a week without pay, so Haru thought of a lucrative venture that would benefit the both of them and occupy them during their free time.

As of two days ago, Haru and Ledo had been hard at work assisting Haru's older brother, Joe. Some of the men who usually worked in the cargo hold were unavailable for variety of different reasons, so Haru offered on Ledo's behalf to help his big brother.

And although he knew Haru was only teasing, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't feeling a little under the weather. "I think it's just the fumes from the oil."

"You can take a break if you want then." Both young men turned to see Joe approaching them. "I don't want you passing out or getting sick on the job. God forbid you get heatstroke thanks to me." He offered both of them water bottles. Ledo was quick to gulp almost all of his down. Noticing the two brothers staring at him, he reluctantly stopped, clearing his throat. "Thirsty much?"

"Yeah, Ledo. You're acting totally weird. Maybe you really are sick."

"I'm fine," he insisted. His nose wrinkled as he felt another sneeze coming on, and he did his best not to let his body betray him. "The smell of the oil is just…"

"Too much?" Joe offered. "Sorry. I thought you guys wouldn't want to use the Yunboros considering you guys don't have to work for the rest of the week. Packaging just seemed like the next obvious task. I didn't take into account that you might have some sort of adverse reaction to the chemicals in the leftover parts. They're very harmless, but the smell can be too much if you're around it for too long, or if you're not used to it. I can assign you something else, if you want."

"It's no trouble, Joe. Really."

Joe still looked concerned, but looking down at his watch, he saw that it didn't really matter at this point. "Work day's over, anyway. Good work today, boys."

"Thanks, bro! I'm gonna take this guy home before he passes out," Haru said teasingly, wrapping an arm around Ledo.

Joe laughed, tussling his hair. "Just don't stay out too late."

After glaring at Joe, Haru dragged Ledo away. Once they were alone, Haru dropped his facetious façade, the worrisome look on his face almost identical to that of his older brother. "Seriously, Ledo, are you okay?"

"Yes, Haru."

"Are you sure?" Seeing Ledo's eyebrow twitch, Haru backed off a little bit. "Sorry. It's just that I don't think you've ever been sick before Do spacemen even get sick?"

Ledo just rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure. It's like your brother said, I'm just not used to being around those chemicals."

Haru frowned, his arms crossed in an almost serious manner. "Well… if that's the case, we have masks for stuff like that. Next time ask for one. Seriously, Ledo, if something's wrong, you've got to say something. Wouldn't want anything bad happening to you on the job. Joe would never let me live it down, not to mention Bellows would sever my boy goods if something happened to her favorite rookie…" He put Ledo into a headlock, rubbing a fist into his head.

Unfortunately, this only served to exacerbate Ledo's headache. He quickly escaped Haru's grasp and smiled reassuringly. "I'm sorry I worried you, but I promise I'm okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See ya, Ledo!"

Ledo sped away to his apartment before collapsing against the door and releasing the sneeze he was holding in, the sting in his nose intensifying the headache he'd been enduring all day. The noise disrupted a napping Aria, who immediately hid behind his flute, her bushy tail bristling twice its size. After calming down, Aria perked up seeing her human companion at the door. She flew over to him, landing on the table instead of his shoulder like she normally would whenever he arrived home. She sniffed his hand and her head cocked to the side as if she were trying to figure out what was wrong with him. He scratched her chin to reassure her, but her tail was still bristling.

"I'm fine, Aria." She still didn't seem to believe him, but he ignored the look she was giving him.

Ledo refused to believe he was sick.

After several months on Earth, Ledo had been exposed to several terrestrial maladies most common on Gargantia. Bebel succumbed to a few of these diseases easily due to his weak immune system, the most relentless being the infamous "common cold", a harmless albeit contagious condition that lasted less than a week, but there were some rare cases. About a month ago, Pinion had fallen ill to a seasonal virus that rendered him basically useless for almost two weeks, infecting him with symptoms such as fever, achiness, and nausea. There were other diseases, some not as brief or mild in some parts of the fleet, but Dr. Oldham assured him as long as he kept to his regular routine, he didn't have to worry about them.

But Ledo wasn't sick. He was confident his advanced immune system would protect him from any diseases, terrestrial or otherwise. Besides, he couldn't afford to be sick; tomorrow was way too important.

Tomorrow, Ledo was going on his first date with Amy.

Ledo was still learning about the social rituals of Earth, but the idea of him and Amy finally spending quality time together without having to hide from their friends was nice. Of course Amy was the one who asked him, though from what Pinion and Haru had told him it was usually the other way around, but Ledo didn't care. He and Amy were a couple now, and he was not going to let anything ruin their first date tomorrow.

So he definitely could _not_ get sick right now.

But he couldn't deny that he was feeling a little under the weather. But only a little. Seeing as he didn't have enough energy to even make dinner, he decided to go to bed early.

 _I probably just need to rest_.

Five lethargic strides later, Ledo was able to drag himself over to his bed, falling face first onto the weathered mattress and drifting off to sleep, confident that he would feel much better after a good night's rest.

Meanwhile, shortly after he had fallen asleep, Aria flew back over to the nightstand and watched over her companion anxiously, sensing that something was very, very wrong…

 **~VSCS~**

Amy couldn't help giggling and blushing as she thought about tonight.

After weeks of shy glances, subtle flirting, and constant teasing from their friends, she and Ledo were finally going out.

They had been an alleged couple for some time now, but Melty, Saaya, and the others thought that they should make it official. Amy agreed, only because she knew Ledo was still oblivious about this stuff and if she didn't make the first move, Melty would do it, and not on her behalf. So to avoid such a catastrophe and taking advantage of his week off, she asked him to meet her somewhere neither of them had been before. When he agreed, her heart skipped a beat. It wasn't like he was going to say no, but hearing him say yes brought about tremendous relief.

 _This is the best day of my life!_

"She's finally going out with the hottie! I thought this day would never come!"

"You're acting as if you're the one going on the date, Melty."

"I would be if these two took any longer admitting their feelings. But alas, it was not meant to be. Everybody knows that Ledo only has eyes for this troublemaker…"

Amy decided to let Melty have her fun and rag on her. Nothing was going to ruin this date. "Thanks for letting me get ready here, Saaya. I didn't think Bebel would want to be around all this boy talk."

The older girl smiled as she brushed the brunette's hair. "It's no problem. So, are you excited?"

"You bet!"

"Well, don't get too excited," Melty warned, although her tone was anything but serious. "Wouldn't wanna wind up doing something you'll regret…"

"Melty!" Amy's face turned the brightest shade of red. "We're just going out to dinner! We've never even kissed!"

"You _haven't?!_ "

"Ignore her, Amy." Saaya put the brush down and hugged the brunette from behind. "You two don't have to do anything you don't want to. It is your first date, after all. Just have fun."

Amy smiled, squeezing Saaya's arms gratefully. "Thanks, Saaya."

After helping her get ready, Melty and Saaya escorted her to the marketplace. Once they were in front of the restaurant, her friends left her, wishing her good luck, in Melty's case. The eatery where she planned to meet Ledo was a hotspot for young couples, and they served the most decadent dishes on the entire fleet. However, it was also expensive, so this would probably be their last date at this establishment. Since it was the middle of the week, the place was practically vacant; it took Amy no time at all to find a table. She chose a window seat, which provided her the perfect view of the ocean. The sun was barely touching the edge of the water, emitting a fiery halo that stretched out across the horizon. Ledo would love it.

A few minutes after she seated herself, someone took her drink order. Afterwards, she began drawing imaginary pictures on the surface of the table as she waited for her date, glancing at the entrance every so often. She nearly jumped up from the table whenever someone moved through the _noren_. Unfortunately, it wasn't Ledo. But that was okay. She had only gotten there five minutes ago, and she didn't expect him to be early. There was plenty of time for their date to start before it got too late. However, a few hours and thirteen customers later, it didn't look like their date was going to happen anytime soon. Looking back at the window, she saw that the sun was almost completely engulfed by the sea, its candescent crown fading from the celestial blue sky.

 _So much for nothing ruining this date. What's taking him so long?_

Amy had a feeling that Ledo's tardiness had little to do with losing track of time. Ledo's mind was like steel trap, so there was no way he would forget about their date. He was too loyal to bail out on his friends, and he definitely wouldn't bail on her on a night like this. Her gut twisted at the thought of something happening to him—and not having anything to eat for several hours—but she didn't want to jump to any conclusions. At least, not hastily.

 _Maybe he lost his nerve? …No, Ledo doesn't get nervous about stuff like this… Maybe he got lost on his way to the restaurant? He's still unfamiliar with some parts of the fleet. Or maybe something bad_ did _happen to him. Oh my gosh! What if he got hurt working in the cargo hold! I knew I should have made him work in the mailroom! At least he'd less likely be crushed by tiny envelopes than by giant crates! Or maybe he…!_

Assuming the absolute worst, Amy jetted out of the restaurant and began heading home, running into a familiar face on the way. Or rather, a familiar ball of fur.

"Aria?" The little squirrel was chittering up a storm, which Amy immediately translated as a bad sign.

"Oi, Amy! You okay?"

There was no harm in getting a second, human opinion, though. "Haru! Have you seen, Ledo?"

He rubbed the back of his neck as he contemplated. "Mmm… Nope. Sorry, I haven't seen him since I walked him home yesterday. Wait a minute…" A mischievous smirk crawled onto his face then. "Aren't you two supposed to be on a date right now?"

"How did you…?" A certain blonde came to mind. "Never mind. Ledo didn't show up. I think something might've happened to him."

Amy was surprised to see how quickly the roguish smirk on the older boy's face turned into a worrisome scowl. He turned away from Amy and began mumbling to himself. "Damn it, Ledo! Should've known you'd lie about something like this…"

"Haru?"

He looked over his shoulder and nearly winced at the desperate look on the young girl's face. "You should go check on him, Amy. I wasn't so sure about what I saw yesterday but… you should definitely check on him…"

Amy's blood ran ice-cold at his ominous words. Haru might've been juvenile at times, but he knew when to stop joking around when the situation called for it. If he was telling her to go home, then she was running the hell home.

She increased her speed as she basically flew back to the apartment, running up the stairs in record time and nearly knocking down Ledo's door. What she saw nearly made her heart stop. " _Ledo!_ "

 **~FIVE HOURS EARLIER~**

When Ledo woke up the next day, he felt even worse than he had last night.

As soon as he opened his eyes, they were stung by the light penetrating the jaded curtains. His head was pounding, his vision was fuzzy, his nose was congested, and his throat was very, very dry. As he sat up, an overwhelming wave of nausea washed over him, and he quickly covered his mouth as if that would quell it. Or at least, allow him enough time to rush to the bathroom. He barely made it to the toilet before everything he ate yesterday came right up. After a few more seconds of retching, Ledo lied down on the floor, feverish and cold. His already dry throat was now sour with bile and his limbs ached as he shook, each spasmodic movement an explosion of excruciating pain. He curled up into the fetal position and wrapped his arms around himself to stop the tremors.

This was probably the closest he felt to dying (and that was saying a lot considering his former military status).

Despite his nausea, his stomach rumbled angrily now that it was empty, but the thought of food itself made him want to vomit again. The only physical comfort he had at the moment was the cold floor of the bathroom; even though it barely did anything to bring down his fever, moving felt so much worse.

But he knew he couldn't stay on the floor forever. Eventually, the ache in his stomach would overpower his nausea, and if he wanted to show up for his date with Amy on time—

 _AMY!_

There was no way in hell he could show up like this! He could barely move, and whenever he tried his nausea returned. He couldn't let her down, either. He would never forget the smile on her face when he agreed to go on this outing with her. But there was no way he could go now, especially in this pathetic condition. He needed to tell her, and if not her, someone.

"A-Aria…" It came out as a pathetic whimper, but if the flying squirrel was around, she'd come for him. On cue, Aria swooped right in and landed just a few centimeters from his nose. She seemed reluctant to approach him further, which meant she was probably aware that he very sick, and he would have comforted her if moving didn't feel like dying. "Aria… find… help…"

The little squirrel licked his sweaty cheek before leaving the bathroom, hopefully doing as he had requested. But there was no way to tell unless he left the bathroom.

After ten minutes of excruciating efforts, painful groans, and another bout of vomiting, Ledo finally made it out of the bathroom. Ironically, his stomach was growling ravenously, but he knew there was no way he could make something. Then he remembered there was some leftover rice in the cabinet from when Amy and her friends came over and had dinner a few days ago. Unfortunately, the cabinet was over the stove, which meant he'd have to reach up to retrieve it. But first he'd have to make it to the kitchen.

As soon as he took his first step towards the kitchen, he was back on the floor having tripped over the blanket he tossed onto the floor when he had fled to the bathroom. His head landed hard on the floor, jarring him and scattering any lingering thoughts he had. Whatever energy was left inside of him fizzled out, and it wasn't long before he blacked out.

 **~VSCS~**

When he woke up again, he felt something cold and wet on his forehead. Reaching up, he realized he was back in bed as his hand slipped from under the covers, and there was a wet cloth on his forehead. He didn't remember ever reaching the bed before he passed out, not that it mattered at the moment. His fever was lower and his body didn't ache as much when he moved. Someone obviously hauled his body into the bed, and from the sounds coming from the kitchen, they were still here.

As he tried to sit up, the motion in the kitchen stopped, but only for a second. Whoever was taking care of him must have noticed him moving as Ledo heard harried footsteps coming closer and closer.

"What are you doing? Don't move!" Amy gently pushed him back down on the bed. She removed the cloth on his head and replaced it with a cooler, wetter one. But Ledo ignored her and sat up again.

"How'd you—?" Ledo barely got those words out before he felt nauseated again.

Seeing the look on his face, Amy pushed him back down. "I told you stop moving, idiot. You hit your head hard, and you need rest." She went back to the kitchen and returned with a mug full of something steamy and kind of… pleasant. "It's ginger tea. It'll help your stomach."

Ledo took a sip and nearly melted in ecstasy. Granted it was just tea, but it was the only thing he'd consumed in 24 hours. His nausea seemed to have disappeared almost immediately and his throat felt less sore. After one long sip, he asked again, "How'd you know I was here?" His voice was hoarser than usual and his throat felt gritty as he spoke. Amy let him take another sip before she answered.

"Well, I figured something must have happened when you didn't show up for our date," Amy joked lightly, but then her tone turned somber as she continued, "I know you wouldn't have stood me up on purpose, so I was afraid that something bad happened. Aria found me as I was heading here," the flying squirrel chirruped from Amy's shoulder at the mention of her name, "and then I ran into Haru." Ledo grimaced at the mention of his partner and looked away guiltily. "Ledo, why didn't you tell anyone you were sick?"

"I didn't think I was," he confessed abashedly. "I've never been sick before."

"Really?"

"The Galactic Alliance took extensive measures to make sure that their top-tier soldiers were at the peak of health. The only time anyone's sick is…" Suddenly, an image of his deceased brother came to mind. Now that he thought about it, that was the only time he'd ever been around anyone sick when he'd first became a member of the Galactic Alliance, and whatever his brother had was terminal. Other than that, common colds and influenza were basically non-existent, so Ledo was never exposed to any kind of disease.

"I guess that shouldn't surprise me," Amy said. "But next time something like this happens, _tell me_. And if you can't do that, tell _someone_. I mean it, Ledo. You have no idea how scared I was when you didn't show up. If anything had happened to you…" Her voice quivered, tears building up at the corners of her eyes.

Ledo felt a huge wave of guilt. He reached over and took her hand. "I didn't mean to make you worry, Amy. I was also really looking forward to tonight … I'm so sorry I ruined it for you."

Laughing lightly, Amy wiped her eyes and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I wouldn't say tonight was _ruined_. We may not be in a fancy restaurant and it's not the most romantic setting, but at least we're alone together. That was all I really wanted." Ledo blushed at the implication of her words, his face bright crimson, which seemed to glow tenfold due to his slight fever.

The moment was ruined by the grumbling of Amy's stomach, and then his shortly after. "I-I haven't eaten in a while, so I hope you don't mind that I raided your kitchen." She went into the kitchen and returned shortly after with two bowls of rice porridge. "It's nothing fancy, but your stomach probably can't handle anything else right now." Before she could set them down, Ledo held out his hand to stop her.

"Wait. Turn off the lights." Amy looked at him curiously before doing as he asked. The room was practically pitch dark until Ledo drew the curtain next to his bed open, allowing the brilliant light of the night sky to fill up the room.

Amy couldn't help staring at the young man in awe. The moon illuminated him, making him appear seraphic rather than feverish, his hoary locks a halo and his pallid face luminescent. His mauve eyes, which were now looking up at the sky, were filled with that child-like innocence and wonder that made her fall in love with him a year ago.

Without even thinking, Amy joined him on the bed and kissed him whole-heartedly. Pulling back, she rested her forehead against his, smiling as brightly as the stars. This time, it was Ledo's turn to stare. It was their first kiss, and Amy was being so nonchalant about it. Not to mention he was a sick as a dog. "A-Aren't you afraid of getting sick?" He couldn't think of anything else to say he was so overwhelmed. Happy, but overwhelmed.

Amy laughed softly and kissed him again, this time lingering a bit before drawing back slowly. "So be it."

After a while, Ledo held Amy in his arms and sighed, relishing the coolness of her skin against his. Despite how disastrous this day had started out, he never wanted this night to end.

Fever long forgotten and hungry waned, the couple fell asleep under the light of moon, a perfect ending an unexpectedly luckless albeit wonderful first date.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you to those who have been so patient with me! I was glad to read that no one was really pushing me to update like some readers tend to do. I think people sometimes forget that this a unpaid hobby; as much as I enjoy writing for an audience that actually enjoys my writing, I do have other things that take priority over FF. But do not fear! I don't plan on leaving anytime soon! Until next time...**

 _ **R &R!**_


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